DXD - One Gamer's Tale
by TyriusVilliers
Summary: WARNING: THERE ARE DARK ELEMENTS INSIDE. ALSO, DISCONTINUED!
1. Chapter 1 - The Tutorial

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own DXD, blah blah blah. I only own my OC and hopefully some neat story ideas...**

 **EDIT 5/22/17: I went back to make some slight tweaks to emphasize Douglas Roland's play-style as being 'skill-based' and not 'by the books'.**

 **EDIT 7/30/17: This story takes A LONG TIME to get up and going. Most readers seem to think that Chapter 5 is when things actually get interesting, so you have been warned!**

* * *

" _Hello, and welcome to your new life as a [Gamer]!"_

" _Would you like to view the tutorial?"_

 **+Yes (Required for First Time Players)**

 _+No_

* * *

 **-Option "Yes" Selected-**

" _Loading Tutorial..."_

" _Loading..."_

" _*PING*"_

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Have you ever stood on the Moon? Have you ever breathed underwater? Have you ever swam through magma?

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself...

" _Welcome to [The Gamer's Tutorial]!"_

" _Please Press 'A'!"_

"Alright, where the hell is the 'A' button?"

If you have...you've either never played a console-based video game in your life...or you're higher than a rich hippie.

I don't know how and I don't know why, but I am now standing on top of a white platform in a black void with a disembodied voice telling me to 'press a button' when I'm not even holding a game controller.

" _ **Where are you?"**_

" _ **How did you get there?"**_

" _ **What's happening to you?"**_

" _ **How will you get home?"**_

These are some of the questions that you are probably asking your computer/phone screens right now.

However, a slightly transparent blue screen just appeared in front of me with a large 'A' right in the center of it.

"Ah, there it is."

And with that said, I pressed the button. There was a slight whirring sound all around me before the disembodied voice spoke again.

* * *

" _Input recognized. System calibrated. Scan complete."_

" _Greetings, Douglas Roland. You have been selected to be reincarnated into an alternate universe as a [Gamer]! The purpose for this reincarnation is because the difficulty level was mistakenly set unreasonably high for your previous life. In order to properly reimburse you for your troubles, you will now be given a chance to live a second life. Do you understand?"_

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

I selected 'yes' as I did indeed understand everything that was said. My old life wasn't exactly all that nice, so getting another chance like this is almost too good to be true.

" _Great! Now, for the first part of the tutorial, say 'Status Menu'!"_

"Status Menu." I repeated.

Instantly, a more opaque blue screen appeared. It was larger than the previous screen and it had a lot more detailed information on it than just one letter.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 1  
 **EXP:** 0/30  
 **HP:** 50/50 (+1.1 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 50/50 (+1.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **END:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 2 (1+0+1)

 **Stat Points:** 18

* * *

" _This is your Status Screen! It lists any personal information, along with your level, HP, MP, and stats. Further information regarding your stats can be found in the Help Screen."_

" _Stat Points are points you gain every time you level up. You can spend these points to increase your base stats quickly. Do you want to assign Stat Points now?"_

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Oh...god...a 'stat-based game'...

Ah well, I'll just try to get used to it. I'm gonna need to remember what all my friends used to do...

Seeing as I had no idea what I should be expecting, I clicked 'no' for the time being. I could already understand my Status Screen fairly well, but I want to get a better understanding and game plan for where I spend my points.

" _Okay, now let's move on to the Inventory! Say 'Inventory Screen'!"_

"Inventory Screen."

And with that, the screen's color changed to a light green. Instead of giving any kind of information, the screen was filled with a bunch of empty gray boxes. There were a few tabs along the top that said 'Items', 'Clothing/Armor', 'Weapons', and 'Key Items'.

* * *

" _This is your Inventory! You can store anything and everything you own in this system! To store things, just insert the item into the screen! Additional information on the Inventory Screen will be provided in the next stage of the tutorial!"_

" _Now, onto the Skills/Magic Screen! Say 'Skills Screen' or 'Magic Screen'!"_

* * *

"Skills Screen." I said, seeing the pattern with which the voice speaks. I liked how it only gave me the bare minimum of information about each screen whilst directing me to the in-game Help Screen for anything else.

If it keeps up like this, I probably would be well enough off in whatever world I end up in if I just started playing instead of sitting down and reading through the Help Screen. The bare minimum **IS** enough in order to play the game, after all.

After speaking the command, the screen turned to an orangeish-red color. There were two large tabs on top of the screen now. One said 'Skills' and the other said 'Magic'. The Skills Screen was set up to house something like a 'skill list'. I could tell, because I already had a few.

...Don't ask me, ask them. Like I am.

"Uh...I already have skills?" I asked out loud, thinking the voice would answer me.

* * *

" _This is the Skills Screen! This is where you can view any skills that you have acquired! Being reincarnated as a [Gamer], you have started off with four very important skills! Check them out by tapping on them!"_

"Okay, it feels like you're ignoring my question. Ah well, see if I care...cuz' I don't." I responded, trying to sound annoyed as I started tapping on each skill listed. Each one came up with a smaller screen with more detailed information about each skill.

* * *

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Gamer's Body]** – **LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **-Grants the player a body that is built like a game character's. This body's capabilities are determined by the player's stats. If the player learns an ability that requires an alteration to the body in order to perform, this body can do so without limitation nor risk of permanent damage. With this body, if your HP drops to zero, then you 'die'. However, if your HP is not at zero, then you can heal from any wound given enough time. Grants the player immunity to cancer, physical illness, scarring, extreme blood loss and physical fatigue.**

 **+[Gamer's Mind] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **-Grants the player's mind protection from most ailments that would harm the player's ability to play the game. Allows for calm thinking in even the most dire of situations, though it will not help with general confusion or uncertainty. Grants the player immunity to induced sleep, mental fatigue, mind control/reading, mental illness, and debilitating fear.**

 **+[Language] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **-Allows the player to understand any modern written or spoken language without difficulty. The player's preferred language/subtitles can be changed in the 'Options Screen'.**

 **+[Fiction Adaptation] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **-Allows the player to learn and use any ability, regardless of logic. In order to learn a new ability, the player must purchase it from the 'Skill Store' or the 'Magic Store'. Any ability may be manually used, but the player won't gain it as a 'Skill' or 'Magic', thus forcing the player to only be able to use it manually until the ability is bought.**

* * *

" _Now, if you tap on the 'Magic' tab, you can open the Magic Screen! Try it out!"_

The voice brought me out of reading through the last part of [Fiction Adaptation], which I thought was awesome! Now it didn't even matter where I ended up! I could just learn every ability I've ever dreamed of having!

Obeying the voice, I tapped my finger on the tab that said 'Magic'. Instantly, the screen transitioned with a small whooshing sound into a purple screen. This screen had two major windows. One had the space for a 'skill list' while the other had a generic looking 'skill tree' set-up. I guess it might mean that different skills might be categorized and treated differently in terms of leveling.

" _This is the Magic Screen! Only abilities that use MP are listed on the Magic Screen! Any ability that doesn't rely on MP will be listed on the Skill Screen! You already have one known spell, so go ahead and check it out!"_

I see that I only have one known spell, so I tapped on it to bring up an informational screen detailing its effect.

* * *

 **-Magic-**

 **+[Observe] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 0/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP

 **-Use the basic ability of a [Gamer] to examine objects or people in order to learn more about them! For people, the level of [Observe] must be equal to or higher than their level in order to discern anything about them! For objects, the more mysterious or important an object is, the higher level [Observe] must be to learn anything!**

* * *

" _This concludes the basic tutorial for the Gamer Menu! Alternatively, by saying the command 'Gamer Menu', you can bring up the main menu of the system! Some players have said that navigating through the Gamer Menu makes it feel more like a game! Also, it is suggested that you open the Help Screen whenever you don't understand something about the system!"_

" _And with that, we conclude the first half of [The Gamer's Tutorial]! Now, we shall move on to the second part of [The Gamer's Tutorial]! The Combat Tutorial!"_

* * *

Oh...okay then.

A moment after the voice said that I had finished her little declaration, the white platform that I had been standing on started to shine with an incredibly powerful radiance. So much so that I was forced to close and cover my eyes with my arms.

* * *

 **Unknown Forest**

Within a few seconds, I started to notice the sounds of ambient forest noises popping up all around me.

After almost ten seconds of shining non-stop, the light finally dimmed down. I went ahead and lowered my arms as I opened my eyes, seeing myself near one side of small circular clearing in the middle of a rather dense looking forest.

However, I could only stand to admire my surroundings for a few moments, as I heard the sound of rustling fauna on the opposite side of the clearing. Looking over at the noise, I saw what looked to be a life-sized humanoid wooden puppet coming out from behind a plant with rather large leaves. It seemed to have markings on its face to resemble that of a human's, only way creepier. It's frame was rather skeletal, being covered only by a ragged red cape-like cloth.

Once it had cleared the perimeter, It took a few slow and shaky steps into the clearing before stopping.

" _Welcome to the second half of [The Gamer's Tutorial]! In this tutorial, you will be shown the basics of combat!"_

" _Now, the first thing you should do before ever confronting an enemy is find out how strong the enemy is! Use [Observe] to see the stats of your enemy!"_

"Very well...[Observe]." I replied, speaking the name of the spell while looking right at the wooden puppet thing.

Suddenly, a blue holographic screen popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 1  
 **HP:** 30/30  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 1  
 **END:** 1  
 **AGI:** 1  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Well, now what?" I asked the voice, seeing that this little 'enemy' was nothing more than a 'mob monster'.

* * *

" _Now, after having discovered the stats of your enemy, you can decide whether or not you wish to fight them! However, some fights are unavoidable! This is one of them!"_

" _You have been given a weapon for this fight! Go into your Inventory and equip it!"_

* * *

Opening up my 'Inventory Screen', I clicked on the tab that said 'Weapons'. One of the boxes that was previously empty and grayed out was now occupied with the picture of a wooden sword.

I tapped on the icon and received a description.

* * *

 **-Weapons-**

 **+Wooden Sword – Rarity: Common**

 **-Price (Selling): (300 Yen)**

 **-Type: Sword**

 **-Power: +2 STR**

 **-Durability: 50/50**

* * *

Underneath the description were three small boxes with text inside of them. From left to right, they read 'Equip', 'Drop' and 'Cancel'.

Pressing 'Equip', the screen disappeared and a meter long wooden sword suddenly appeared in my hands. I gave it a few practice swings as I was guessing that I was about to fight this wooden puppet monster thing.

* * *

" _Now that you have equipped your weapon, go and fight that monster!"_

* * *

And, at that, the wooden puppet started to wobble and shake as it stalked forward with one slow footstep after another. I held up my sword in a ready stance as I also slowly approached the monster.

Once we were a few feet from each other, the puppet started shaking violently for a second before raising one of its arms and swinging horizontally at my head. I bent my knees and ducked, avoiding the slow and obvious attack that one would expect from a mob monster.

"Ngh!"

Giving a short grunt, I drew the sword back and stabbed forward at the puppet's chest, landing a hit that was a bit off center. It staggered back from my hit, which gave me the chance to draw my sword to my side and swing at it's torso with a horizontal slash.

Once again, the puppet was staggered as it was hit by my attack. I could see that, as a mob monster, this thing was quite slow and weak. I didn't really want to waste time on a 'Tutorial Fight', so I just started throwing slash after slash at the wooden puppet.

I doubted that I possessed any in-borne talent for swordsmanship. As evidenced by the fact that, in my wild beat-down of the wooden puppet, I nearly tripped over my own feet twice.

The good news, is that after attacking the wooden puppet for about half a minute, it suddenly stopped in its tracks before falling unceremoniously to the ground.

" _Congratulations! You have just defeated your first enemy! Be warned, though, there are enemies far stronger than Puppets!"_

"Yeah, kinda figured that on my own. So, what now?" I asked the voice, though by this point I'm pretty sure that the voice doesn't really care about what I say.

" _Congratulations! You have completed the second half of [The Gamer's Tutorial]! With this, [The Gamer's Tutorial] is now complete! You have been granted two more Spells to commemorate your first time completing [The Gamer's Tutorial]!_

* * *

 **-Spells Learned!-**

 **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 0/100 – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this spell, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.**

 **-Available:  
** **+[ID: Create – Empty]  
** **+[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1]**

 **[ID: Escape] – LVL: MAX – Active – Cost:** 0 MP

 **-Allows the player to escape and destroy an alternate dimension created by [ID: Create]. If you exit the alternate dimension in a public place, people around you will unconsciously avoid you for 15 seconds unless they are actively searching for you.**

* * *

" _Now, the time has come for you to begin your adventure!_

" _However, first, [The Gamer's Rule-book]! Listen up, because this are super important!"_

" _Rule Number One: You must keep the existence of multiple universes a secret at all costs!"_

" _Rule Number Two: If you enter a world you are familiar with, during the canon timeline, you must not be overly conspicuous with your knowledge of canon events!"_

" _Rule Number Three: Duels between two [Gamers] are sacred to the system! No interference shall be permitted!"_

" _Rule Number Four: Try to have fun! That's why the system chose you in the first place!"_

" _Reincarnation Process: Starting..."_

" _Locating Universe..."_

" _Locating World..."_

" _Determining Time..."_

" _Determining Starting Location..."_

" _Buffering Textures..."_

" _Installing Updates..."_

" _Formulating Starting Quests..."_

" _Reincarnation Process: Queued..."_

" _Reincarnation Process: Loading..."_

" _Loading..."_

" _Reincarnation in 5..."_

" _...4..."_

" _...3..."_

" _...2..."_

" _...1..."_

" _Have a nice life!"_

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 1  
 **EXP:** 0/30  
 **HP:** 50/50 (+1.1 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 50/50 (+1.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **END:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 2 (1+0+1)

 **Stat Points:** 18

* * *

 **UPDATED!**

 **If any of you remember, I said before that I was going with a 'No Issei' DXD fan fic. I'll try to hold on to that little idea, but if it turns out to be too difficult, or time consuming, to write...well, SCREW IT!**

 **My apologies for how long it took to get Chapter 2 out. I had so many different ideas for this that it became hard to pick one and stick with it. I feel kinda confident with this one, though. So, please look forward to a read that you might not have 'read' before!**


	2. Chapter 2 - The 'Lore' and Stuff

**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**

 **READ CAREFULLY!**

 **RATED M FOR A REASON! IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY VULGAR PROFANITY, LEAVE NOW!**

 **THIS STORY WILL MOST LIKELY CONTAIN COARSE LANGUAGE, EXCESSIVE ACTS OF VIOLENCE, DEPICTIONS OF GORE, POSSIBLE ADULT SITUATIONS AND DOWNRIGHT INSULT BASED HUMOR!**

 _ **ANY INSULTS OR INSINUATIONS THAT YOU READ DO NOT REFLECT MY PERSONAL OPINIONS, THEY ARE SIMPLY PART OF THE STORY!**_

* * *

 **Edit 5/22/17: I went back to make some slight tweaks to emphasize Douglas Roland's play-style as being 'skill-based' and not 'by the books'.**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER:** Why would I even want to own Highschool DXD anyway? I can't make Issei have sex with anyone, or else it would be considered a hentai. No, I'm fine with some story ideas and a make-believe Schizophrenic OC who grinds shit.

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech" = Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

 _"Disembodied Voices"_ = Schizophrenic stuff.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience.

 **Explanation on Warning (If you are interested. If not, then go ahead and read the story):** A lot of this story, as is the case with most first person POV stories, is based around the main character's thoughts and opinions. For the most part, I won't be using any kind of special casing or punctuation to indicate when you're explicitly reading the thoughts of the main character. If you are reading a story about Highschool DXD, which is of the 'Ecchi' genre, then I am assuming that you are old enough and experienced enough at reading to be able to figure out the difference in wording between a thought and a description.

 **If you read the above, Thank you for your patience and bored-mindedness. If not...**

 **...here ya go.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: The 'Lore' and Stuff...WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE FREAKING LORE**

* * *

 _"Reincarnation Process: Complete!"_

* * *

...

Wait a second...

Nothing happened as that announcement was made.

I'm still in the fucking void!

"Hey! What gives!?"

...

Suddenly, a bright light flashed, making me cringe and blink reflexively. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing...

...in the middle of a park.

...okay, sure. Why not?

Let's start my new life here in...

...wherever the fuck this place is!

* * *

 _"Welcome, [Gamer], to the planet...EARTH!"_

* * *

Okay...so...that lady that had been talking to me for the past fifteen minutes was suddenly replaced by some random ass dude that had a desire to scream at the end of his sentence.

On another note, I remembered having lived on a planet that was, strangely enough, also called Earth.

"Okay, so...let's say that 'parallel dimensions' are a thing. That would mean, hopefully, that **this** version of Earth won't be exactly like the one I lived on." I commented, suddenly finding a large holographic image appearing in front of me.

It showed a huge detailed drawing of the Earth, with a glowing orange dot in the middle of Japan. I'm no expert at video games (HAH!), but I'm pretty sure that dot is **me**.

* * *

 _"On Earth, humans go about their daily lives whilst believing themselves to be the ultimate authority on the planet. Unfortunately for them, beings that they refer to as Mythical or Supernatural exist and look down upon humanity from their positions of power. Humanity is, after all, the youngest of the sentient races that inhabit the planet. Why should any Mythical Creature see humans as their equal when they are far stronger, older, and more knowledgeable than humanity could ever hope to be?"_

* * *

As the voice was telling me all of this 'lore' that would apply to my new life, the screen was shifting to show pictures to go along with the story. I saw humanity walking on the ground whilst things that looked like angels, dragons, and gigantic foxes all either stood or flew over humanity with cartoon-ish expressions of condescension and arrogance on their faces.

Then, the screen shifted to show some kind of battle between three different armies that all had wings. One had white eagle-like wings. Another had black raven-like wings. And the last had black bat-like wings.

* * *

 _"Long ago, a Great War was brewing on Earth."_

 _"The war, was between three different Factions who were all vying for control over most of humanity."_

 _"First, were the Angels, led by the mighty God of the Bible. Believing themselves to be righteous and true, God and the Angels felt that humanity should remain pure and untouched by any sin or temptations. In their eyes, humans were nothing more than children who should remain innocent and obedient for the rest of time."_

 _"Directly opposing them, were the Devils, led by Satan and the Seven Princes of Hell. Knowing that immense power awaited the ones who controlled the humans, the Devils desired to seduce humanity with promises of power, wealth, and pleasure in order to gain that power for themselves."_

 _"To these opposing ends, the Devils and Angels began their long and arduous fight to gain control over humanity. However, shortly after the war began, a third faction was created."_

 _"The Fallen Angels, led by Azazel and the Cadres, were formed when many of the Angels started to disagree with their Heavenly Father, God, over how the humans should be treated. Believing that a minimal amount of amicable contact was best, they broke away from the Angel Faction, their wings blackening and their halos breaking in the process."_

 _"With the three sides firmly pitted against each other, the war continued for hundreds of years."_

 _"And then, the dragons came into the picture."_

* * *

"...this got really fucking familiar, really fucking quick. I'm calling it now. 'Highschool DXD-verse'." I wagered, holding a hand to my chin as multiple screenshots of Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils started flashing by on the screen.

If this is fucking DXD, then I'm gonna lose my shit.

And curse.

And jerk off.

...probably not all at once. That would be...

* * *

 _"The Red and White Dragons, Ddraig and Albion, were engaged in an epic death-match with one another during the time of the Great War. Without paying attention to their surroundings, though, they ended up absentmindedly entering into the battlefields where the Three Factions were fighting. Continuing their fight without heeding the beings around them, the dragons caused untold destruction and mayhem amongst the battlefields."_

 _"So much so, that the Three Factions deemed it necessary to put their battle on hold so as to deal with the dragons running amok. Joining hands, the Three Factions overcame the dragons and returned to their own war."_

 _"Thus, many more years of war followed, until, with incredibly heavy losses having been suffered on all three fronts, the Three Factions declared that the war was over. With each side losing most of their leaders, new ones rose up to take their place as they put into effect a cease-fire order."_

 _"However, pain is not so easily forgotten. Many of those who suffered and survived greatly despised those who caused them such agony. So, even with the cease-fire order, there are many skirmishes still happening between the Three Factions."_

* * *

"Okay, so...how in-depth is this thing gonna go? I already know the plot." I sighed, tapping my foot on the concrete walkway.

Seriously? Trying to explain the 'lore' of one of my favorite light novels to me, like I'm some newbie?

* * *

 _"Do you wish to skip the rest of this explanation?"_

* * *

"YES, PLEASE!" I screamed.

* * *

 _"In this version of Earth, there are multiple races of sentient beings. A [Gamer] can choose to go through the campaign of any race from this list."_

* * *

And with that, the large screen showed a bunch of different profiles of different races I could be reincarnated as...

...except...

* * *

 **+Human (Required for First-Time Players)**

 _+Angel_

 _+Fallen Angel_

 _+Devil_

 _+Youkai_

 _+Demigod_

 _+Dragon_

 _+Vampire_

 _+Werewolf_

 _+Grim Reaper_

 _+Sacred Gear (DLC)_

 _+Familiar Monster (DLC)_

 _+Zombie (DLC)_

* * *

"Ugh...can't even let me pick something sweet? I guess I have to go with human this time. With all this 'first-time' stuff, I'm probably guessing that they'll let me do this again someday." I reasoned as I went ahead and touched the part of the screen that said 'Human'.

* * *

 **-Profile Selected-**

 **-Race:** Human

 **-Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level

* * *

"Oh, well that's neat. A little insulting, but neat. Seriously, that says a lot about how humans are. Most of us would like to believe we're hard-working and talented, but the fact is...we're just some lucky sons of bitches who had shit handed to us on a silver platter." I remarked, just trying to find some silver lining to the whole 'forced humanity' bullshit going on.

* * *

 _"Now that you have selected your race, it is time for you to begin your very own journey! Good luck~!"_

* * *

"Haha, fuck you." I responded to, what I believed to be, a teasing implication.

At that moment, the screen in front of me vanished, leaving only the visage of a peaceful park in its wake.

It was at this moment, that the sounds of people walking around and talking filled my ears. I didn't notice before, so I guess that something was keeping people away from me when the voice was talking.

Or, that time was stopped.

Or, that I was in an alternate dimension.

Or, that I was inside a sound-nullifying barrier.

Or, that I was genuinely insane and had just been set loose inside of a public place.

Or, that I was being pumped full of hallucinogenic drugs at such an alarming rate that it was making me see mirages of a shit load of Asian people beginning to walk around the park like things were completely normal and fine.

...

...in my defense, some **weird** shit happens in anime.

Oh! A blinking orange screen just showed up! Finally! NORMALCY!

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 1

 **Campaign Quest Details:**

-You have been reincarnated as a Human inside of a world infested with Supernatural beings! **OH SHIT!** However, you're in luck, as you have some time to prepare for your inevitable war against all things that go 'bump' in the night! But, not all is lost, as this world also has many strong and beautiful allies that are just waiting to get conscripted into keeping your hide nice and intact! You must learn that, in order to survive this world...you will have to fight on several different battlefields! Grind, Make Allies, and Fight for your Life! Fail at this, and you shall die a lonely death! However, should you succeed? 'Heaven' awaits!

 **(Quest Note – To turn off 'Quest Notes', go to Options):** This is a Campaign Quest for the Human Race. There are multiple different variations of these, and most will take a longer time to complete than ordinary Quests. There are some Campaign Quests that you can turn down in favor for another, and you can change from some Campaign Quests to others. However, there are some Campaign Quests that you will be locked into should you choose to go through with them.

 **Difficulty Level:** '1' (A Fucking Joke)

 **Objectives:  
** -Train up to Level 10  
-Defeat '?'

 **(Optional)  
** -?

 **Time Limit:** 30 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+1)  
-LVL 1 Crib  
-1 'Magic' Store Token  
-1 'Skill' Store Token  
-3 Health Potions  
-3 Mana Potions

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

 **Accept?**

 **+Yes** **(Required)**

 _+No_

* * *

This seems...a little heavy.

Seriously, if the penalties are what I **think** they are, then that means that I'll be forced to live my life a certain way, have a harder time leveling up during a period of time that I might be in danger, along with just **losing** everything I fucking own!

I accepted the 'Quest', even though I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

The screen disappeared from in front of me with a pop as I suddenly noticed, once again, that sound and motion had returned to the area once again.

Looking around the park I was in, I noticed that everyone else started moving once more, seeming to not notice anything happening that was out of the ordinary. The trees in the leaves around me were rustling from a faint wind blowing through the area.

I needed to know...exactly what happened. My A.D.D. demands that I do!

Pulling up my 'Status Screen', I saw the familiar blue hologram appear in front of me.

...Immediately, all sound in the area stopped. I look around and notice everything was in a 'frozen' state, like a three-dimensional picture.

So, time's frozen, huh?

I was about to lift up my foot to take a step when the screen in front of me closed and time resumed as normal, everything moving around again as if nothing had happened.

Pulling up the screen again, I turn my head until I was looking behind me.

...Okay, so I can look around when the world is frozen like this.

Next, I try moving my arms. Naturally, when I moved them towards the screen, nothing happened. However, when I tried stretching them out to my sides, time resumed again.

Alright, so I think I know what's going on.

It makes sense that something like this would happen.

If people were to see a bunch of holographic screens appearing in front of that one guy standing a couple of meters away, they would probably start to ask some **really** difficult questions.

It also wouldn't be good if the holographic screens were invisible to everyone but me. Then, they'd see me waving my arms out in front of me like an insane person.

It wouldn't seem like too much trouble to make it so that people avoid me and walk around me...so...

Instead, whenever I pull up a screen, time just stops. Boom. Like that.

If I try to move around too much while time is stopped, the system might see it as me trying to cheat. Does 'pause buffering' work?

Opening and closing my screen really quickly multiple times allowed me to view everything moving by frame by frame.

"Hah, fucking 'pause buffering' is a thing! Maybe there are people that speedrun this game!?" I joked, having paused time again while staring at my 'Status Screen'.

I took advantage of this lapse in time to read through it carefully. Going through the 'Tutorial' is pretty much the same for every game. If you just slip through it quickly, you can figure out the important stuff quick enough on your own.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 1  
 **EXP:** 3/30  
 **HP:** 50/50 (+1.1 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 50/50 (+1.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **END:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 3 (1+1+1)

 **Stat Points: 18**

* * *

Looking at my 'Status Screen' closely, there was certainly quite a bit more information on it than there was in the Tutorial. The fact that it now shows my current body's age and my 'real' age, is quite handy. It also tells me my birthday, which I know, my 'Race' and the 'Race Bonus'. I can only assume that the little reward I get from the Quest about a 'Rank Increase' could only mean my 'Rank' as a 'Human' will go up.

However, the part that I was most interested in, and confused about, were my stats. I can see that each of my stats have multiple numbers attached separately to the main numbers. I noticed it back in the 'Tutorial', but again, I was trying to move past all of that as fast as I could.

The first number, is likely the 'base' of my stats. I'd guess that my 'Stat Points' would increase those numbers. The third number is probably attached to my 'Title'. I saw that in the 'Tutorial'.The second number would therefore be my 'Race Bonus'. But, it seems kinda strange that it would show on every stat, instead of just the stat that it applies to...

...Oh! Look at that! The voice wasn't lying! I actually have...quite a bit of time until canon starts.

972 days, huh?

That's like...well, if we're talking about starting more than halfway through the year too, then it's around two years and eight months...so...probably somewhere in April two years from now would be the start of canon, right?

Yeah...yeah, I remembered looking at a timeline once that said that Issei met Asia in early April. I know Japan starts their school years in April, so it's probably something like that.

"Shit. This might be bad. If the system is deciding to give me more than two and a half years to...'prepare', then that either means that a lot of shit is gonna happen during those 972 days, or that the enemies here are gonna be fucking impossible to deal with!" I spoke, obviously foreshadowing the future because everyone who knows DXD is aware of the indisputable fact...

...humans get fucked.

"Okay, so to wrap things up, let's narrow down the facts. Fact number one, I'm most likely in the universe that DXD takes place. Number two, I have 972 days before the start of canon, which probably means when Issei is killed by Raynare. Number three, I have a 'Starting Quest' that basically tells me to train up to level ten, and defeat something. I also only have 30 days to complete that Quest. The difficulty level was incredibly low, so...if I go by what Russell says...that means that either the requirements to complete the Quest aren't that steep, or the time allotted is enough that the player can complete it casually without any strenuous work." I reasoned, deciding to trust the advice of one of my friends who is far more experienced with 'stat-based RPG-games' than I was.

In all honesty, something like that would certainly make sense. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I pretty much understand how that difficulty level was determined...

"Even if I'm not in the 'DXD-verse', this place has supernatural entities that stand above humanity. Above me. If I want to enjoy this 'game' to the fullest, my best bet would be to level up and get stronger. I have that [ID: Create] skill, along with access to, what is probably, a mob-infested one."

And with that, I had a decent enough plan for the start of my 'play-through'.

...Damn, am I just gonna use amateur gaming lingo to explain how I live my...'life'.

However, remembering a certain detail from the Tutorial, I spoke a command to the system.

"Open 'Gamer Menu'." I said, finding the familiar blue 'Status Screen' shifting into a black-and-white screen with a simple list on it.

* * *

 **-Gamer Menu-**

 **+Status**

 **+Inventory**

 **+Skills/Magic**

 **+Store**

 **+Friends List**

 **+Options**

 **+Help**

* * *

Glancing over the list, I clicked on 'Store', only to have the screen shift into one with a glittery-gold frame with the word 'Store' in big letters over the top.

There were several tabs, just like my 'Inventory Screen'. The tabs were 'Items', 'Clothing/Armor', 'Weapons', 'Skills', 'Magic', and 'Exclusive Items'. Above the tabs, and slightly to the right, was a search bar.

I clicked on the 'Items' tab to see an item grid pop up, filled to the brim with items in each slot, along with a scroll bar on the side. Taking a glance and looking at some of the items, it seemed rather ordinary.

Potions, herbs, cooking utensils, food, drinks, tissues, paint thinner, and condoms.

Everything one needs to survive in a video game.

The 'Clothing/Armor' and 'Weapons' tabs were also rather ordinary. Except I noticed that the prices were all listed in Japanese Yen.

I didn't really mind, though. After all, most of DXD is centered on Japan.

Actually, now that I think about it, most of Japanese animation is focused on Japan.

...Meh.

Once I got to the 'Skills' tab, though, that completely freaking changed. Instead of costing money, it seemed I needed something called a...'Skill Store Token'.

Oh! Hold the phone! I think that was one of my rewards for doing my Quest!

Okay, so it kinda makes sense. Instead of just buying your way into whatever skills you want with money, which might be considerably easy to come by, you have to do Quests and get 'Tokens' in order to purchase them.

Going through the list, I saw that most of the abilities also had stat requirements. Ya know, 50 STR, 100 END, etc.

Some even required that you had other 'Skills' first.

I guess that's so you can't just get the most overpowered abilities right off the bat.

Knowing that I didn't have any 'Tokens', I went on to the 'Magic' tab, only to find that it was almost the exact same fucking thing!

SIGH...

Then, I got to the 'Exclusive Items' tab. There, I find a whole bunch of different items that obviously **DO NOT BELONG** in this universe.

I remembered being in the middle of watching Naruto: Shippuden in my old life. It was an okay anime, to be honest. I always thought I'd have trouble getting into Naruto because it's about a mentally retarded Ninja that wears orange. Then, I find out that apparently I didn't understand what a Ninja was.

Ninjas are Wizards that know Kung-Fu.

They even have a 'Ninja Jesus'...

I type in the words 'Chakra Fruit', remembering it to be some kind of extremely valuable item in the anime. This was just for shits and giggles, as I'm completely fucking broke right now.

Anyways, the search result popped up quickly, and I just kinda laughed a bit.

* * *

 **+Chakra Fruit – Rarity: Absolutely Super Ultra Megarific Fantastically Unlimited Rare**

 **-Price: (500,000,000,000,000,000,000 Yen)**

 **-Requires: [Chakra Manipulation] Skill, 5,000 STR, 5,000 END, 5,000 MAG**

 **-Consumable**

 **-Effect: Chakra Multiplier (*10,000), Chakra Regeneration: +5%/min**

* * *

"Pfft, hahahahaha, 500 quintillion Yen for a fucking fruit!? The fuck's with the 'God-like' effects!? I swear, if I get the fucking chance, I'm gonna fucking get this! I'll become the, pfft, best fuckin' Hokage anyone's ever seen!" I joked. Just knowing that they're even fucking selling **something** with that kind of price tag is funny.

"Seriously, though, how the fuck is anyone supposed to be able to come up with that kinda cash? Ah well, at least I had a decent look at the kinds of items I can buy and the prices." I muttered, closing the 'Store Screen' and going back to the 'Gamer Menu'.

Now...now it was time for me to begin my training. Opening up the 'Magic Screen', I tapped on [ID: Create].

* * *

 **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 0/100 – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this spell, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.**

 **-Available:  
** **+[ID: Create – Empty]  
** **+[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1]**

* * *

"Alright. Let's fucking do this." I said, clicking on the entry that would create a 'Puppet-infested ID'.

* * *

 **[ID: Puppets LVL: 1]**

With a bright flash of light that made me flinch, the park just poofed out of existence and was replaced by the familiar jungle-like area where I had fought that Puppet. It was a little strange, though, as there was a large open walkway to the right that seemed to lead into a slightly less forested area.

Maybe that area in the 'Tutorial' was simply a single area, while the 'ID' was something of a maze?

I didn't have a whole lot of time to think as suddenly, three of the same Puppets that I had fought before crawled out of the treeline and started walking towards me.

I thought about my stats for a second before remembering how I fought them before.

"If this is gonna be up close and personal, then I'll boost my physical stats for now." I reasoned with myself, quickly pulling up my 'Status Screen', only to find that the Puppets...

...weren't stopping.

"Oh, fuck. Okay, put six in STR, six in END, and six in AGI." I spoke, quickly noticing that by giving the verbal order, the stats were distributed instantly. A small text box with a check mark in one corner and an 'X' mark in the other corner appeared.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 1  
 **EXP:** 3/30  
 **HP:** 50/50 (+1.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 10/50 (+1.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **END:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 3 (1+1+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 _ **-Confirm these stat changes?-**_

* * *

Clicking the check mark quickly, I noticed the three puppets were only about two yards from me.

Heh, sorry 'Tutorial', but my [ID: Create] takes 40 MP. I don't have enough to waste on using [Observe].

I chose to take up a stance and let them come to me. The one on the left reached me first, for some reason, and raised its hand up like it was going to slam it down on me. It was a really shaky movement, so I took a step to the right.

That got me out of range of its attack, though it swung slowly anyway. It seemed a little stunned due to missing, so I took the chance and swung back to clothesline it. Hitting it, felt kind of like, uh...you know when you play dodgeball, and you hold a ball and use it to smack away a ball that was thrown at you? Yeah, it kinda felt like that.

It's a wooden puppet. I'd think that it would feel like hitting a decent seventy pound hunk of wood, not a Styrofoam mannequin.

Anyways, the Puppet I hit was knocked to the ground by my attack. I turned my eyes over to the other Puppets to see the one that was in the middle was pulling it's arm to the side for a horizontal swipe. The one on the right was bringing both arms up in a 'hugging' motion like it was gonna swing at me with both limbs at the same time.

Adopting the same strategy with the first one, I stepped out of the way and allowed them to miss with their attacks. Both Puppets took their time standing up straight after their failed attempts. That, is when I jumped forward and smashed my fist into the middle one's chest.

My attack caused the Puppet to stumble backwards a few feet before falling flat on its back. Coming to a stop after my jump, I spun around to my left and swung my fist out, catching the last Puppet in the head. With a small 'thunk', the Puppet was flipped onto its back like its compatriots.

I don't know how much damage I'm doing to these things, but the fact they're standing up again tells me that I'm not Saitama. Or Luffy. Or Rock Lee. Or Goku.

I'm not a lot of guys, okay!?

"Ah, what the hell? [Observe]." I ordered, looking at the one I clotheslined, considering that he should have taken the least amount of damage.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 1  
 **HP:** 16/30  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 1  
 **END:** 1  
 **AGI:** 1  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Holy!? 14 damage just for putting him on the ground!?" I shouted, secretly pleased with the feeling of not being on the same level as a 'mob monster'.

Within a few seconds, all three Puppets were back on their feet, walking shakily towards me. I decided to experiment with their behavior for a moment. I took a few steps to the right, circling around the Puppets until it was almost like they were in a line from my perspective.

The one that I clotheslined continued to stumble towards me without any care for the others. The one in the middle, started moving around the Puppet in front of him. The one furthest away walked forwards a bit, before moving around in the opposite direction as the one in the middle.

"Okay. Simple formation-ish behavior. Seems to have a 'go straight until I can't' approach. That means I can effectively keep them trapped just by circling them." I noted, determining that they couldn't be classified as anything but a 'mob monster'.

I wonder if there are any 'mob monster'-rights protests? You gotta feel bad that they're labeled as 'mob monsters' when they're not even smart enough to know what that means! Seriously, 'Mob Monster Lives Matter'!

Whilst I was thinking this, I was proving myself by circling around the three Puppets. Like I thought, they were simply stumbling towards me before being forced to go around their peers.

I finally managed to get one of them a few feet from the others. I dashed forward and socked it straight in the face, causing it to fall to the ground.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 1  
 **HP:** 1/30  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 1  
 **END:** 1  
 **AGI:** 1  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Oh! So if I use [Observe] on an enemy once, it automatically makes it so that I can view their information whenever I look at them. That means I don't have to use [Observe] every single freaking time I want to see their health or whatnot.

That also means that the one I just clocked was the one I clotheslined. That attack just now did 15 damage instead of 14. That means that either my way of attacking is a factor, there's a 'damage range', or I can get critical hits.

I'm not gonna figure it out now, though, especially with the Puppet I had just knocked down was already getting back up. I took a step towards it before thrusting my knee at its face.

"Wam!" I cried out, feeling excited over getting my first 'non-Tutorial' kill.

The Puppet was sent sprawling onto the ground on its side as it evaporated into black mist. Taking a few steps back from its friends, I opened up my 'Status Screen' to look at something specific.

* * *

 **-EXP:** 6/30-

* * *

"So, three EXP a pop? Not bad. That means eight more and I get a level up." I reasoned, closing the screen and deciding to rush the Puppets on my own.

Hey! I'm all for getting to know their habits, but c'mon! They're 'mob monsters'! I shouldn't have to force myself to wait on them for freaking ever!

Running up to one of the Puppets, I saw it raise its arm for its downward swinging attack. I shifted my approach a little to the right of it, whilst bringing my left leg up. My foot connected with its groin area, though the Puppet only rag-dolled onto the ground before evaporating into that same black mist.

The final Puppet just continued to walk towards me, obviously having not been paying attention to me wrecking his two friends. Raising its arms up into that 'hugging' motion again, I decided to charge and trick it into attacking.

So, taking a few large steps forward, before quickly stepping back, the Puppet swung both of its arms in a one-two motion. Afterwards, like the other times, it seemed to need a moment to stand up straight. Taking a step towards it, I clocked it in the face soundly with my right fist.

However, with it not falling to the ground, I punched into its torso with my left fist. This time, the Puppet crumpled like the others before dissolving into black mist.

Pulling up my 'Status Screen' again, I was satisfied to see my evaluations regarding the EXP gained from defeating them was correct.

* * *

- **EXP:** 12/30-

* * *

"Okay. So, now I just need six more. Heh, if I didn't know any better, which I do, then I can tell...this is way too fucking easy." I spoke, looking over towards the opening that was now on my left side. Sighing, I made my way over to it.

Walking into the pathway, I could see that it was pretty much a straightaway that leads to another one of those clearings like the one I just left.

So maybe it's like a 'one-hundred round battle maze'-ish kind of thing?

Meh, that idea has been over-abused in games. Plus, it seems a little tacky.

Coming to the exit of the pathway, I was greeted by the sight of another clearing that was almost perfectly identical to the others.

Setting foot in the clearing, I heard the rustling of plant life before some more creatures came out of the treeline.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five...

FIVE PUPPETS MWA HA HA HA HA!

"I hated that freaking vampire puppet." I seethed, remembering the kid's show that hosted 'The Count'. I guess seeing so many Puppets today has made me, uh, remember.

Anyways, so yeah, now there were five Puppets coming at me like a bunch of elderly retirees. Getting into my stance, I noticed that they were lined up similarly to the three before. The ones on the outside seem to be slightly ahead of the others, though.

Probably because they're trying to enclose me in a semi-circle.

I didn't want to test myself at dodging that many Puppets at a time, so I decided to break their formation. Rushing forward as fast as I could, I aimed myself at the Puppet in the center. All of the Puppets seemed to stop and wind up for their own attacks as I did this.

However, the only one I genuinely paid attention to was the one I was targeting. It seemed to be raising its arm up to do a horizontal swipe.

Ducking lower to the ground, I managed to skim underneath two separate wooden limbs sailing over my head. One of the remaining Puppets threw its arm down at me in a vertical attack. Luckily, I managed to run fast enough that it missed on its own. The same thing happened with the Puppet that was opposite it.

Now, to be fair, this whole situation happened in, like, two seconds. However, it told me that it wasn't a good idea to simply rush enemies with absolutely no plan in mind.

Already being low to the ground, the Puppet in the center swiped its arm at me. It missed, obviously, which is when I threw me arms around its waist and tackled it. Pushing the Puppet a few yards back, I tilted both of us towards the ground.

Smashing the Puppet into the ground, I bent my knees and braced myself with my hands to keep myself from falling on top of the Puppet. Rising up slightly, I brought a fist down on the center of its chest. The Puppet crumpled at that and evaporated into black mist.

Turning around while getting back on my feet, I saw the other Puppets coming forward once again.

Thinking for a second, I determined that it would be a good idea to see if I was able to block their attacks. Both my STR and END most likely surpass their own, so I can't imagine that it would hurt to find out.

I rushed towards two of the Puppets that were coming from the left. One of them was in front of the other, and had already started winding up its arms in the 'hugging' position.

Raising each of my arms up in a pseudo-boxing stance, I managed to block its leftward swing with my right arm. It stung a little bit, but not too bad. I noticed it swinging its left arm at me about a second later. Raising my left arm to meet it, I cleanly blocked its second attack.

Now, both of my arms were stinging a little, like if you casually flailed your arm against a tree. Not enough to hurt, but you can feel it.

All in all, though, that was pretty fucking easy!

I punched the Puppet in the face with my right fist immediately after blocking its second attack with my left arm. This caused it to stumble back slightly.

I took the chance to glance over towards the other Puppets to find that they were almost on top of me. Throwing my left fist at the Puppet I just punched, I hit it again. This time, it crumpled to the ground and faded into black mist.

Seriously, what's with the black mist!?

Ah well...

I back-stepped a bit to gain distance, causing the Puppets to change course. However, now that they were all together in a tight group, the two on the sides stumbled slightly, trying to get back into proper formation whilst still homing in on me.

Keeping my distance from those Puppets, I pulled up my 'Status Screen' to check whether or not I took damage from blocking those attacks just now.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 1  
 **EXP:** 18/30  
 **HP:** 48/50 (+1.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 13/50 (+1.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **END:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 3 (1+1+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

* * *

"Okay, so it might just be my higher END. Either that, or blocking somehow lessens the damage. Still, with the rate that my health refills, I'll be back at 100% in a little more than a minute." I reasoned, closing the screen and refocusing on the still approaching Puppets.

They were once again in the 'line' formation that the three Puppets I fought in the last area were in.

However, I was now more confident than ever before about my ability to defeat these guys. Not that I wasn't confident earlier, but with such obvious and absolute patterns, even an ape would be capable of outsmarting these guys.

So, I proceeded to circle around them to the right, forcing two of them to shift around each other in order to get closer to me whilst making it so that I only have to deal with the one directly in front of me. I'm pretty sure that I knew all of its attack patterns, so I didn't even bother to wait for it. I threw a few jabs at its chest and face, making it stumble a bit. I then interlocked my hands together before slamming them down into the thing's head.

The Puppet crumpled to the ground before its cronies could even get back into formation. I sidestepped around to the right, circling the two and performing the same strategy again. This time, I threw a kick at the Puppet's legs, sweeping its feet from underneath it and making it fall to the ground. I interlocked my hands again and jumped slightly before falling towards it. Smashing my hands down onto its head, it crumpled and evaporated just like the one before it.

By this time, the last Puppet was already within range and was gearing up for a vertical swipe at me. I scramble backwards quickly, making the Puppet miss. Just like every other Puppet before it, it seemed to need a second or two to straighten itself after a failed attack.

A quick shoulder bash and two punches made it crumble and fade away, leaving the area completely clear of any more Puppets.

"Huh, that wasn't too bad. Even with two extra Puppets, it took just about the same amount of time as the last area. Then again, I was experimenting quite a bit. If I took on five more Puppets again, I could probably do it in half the time. Oh, right, I need to check my EXP just to make sure that nothing's changed."

* * *

- **EXP:** 27/30-

* * *

"I guess that's that! I should be good to go into the next area. Even if we go by the flow and there turn out to be seven Puppets, I'm fairly certain that I'll still win easily. Fucking hell, with all this easy stuff, it just makes me even more nervous that I'm gonna be forced to fight something like a level 300 Demon God with tens of millions of points in each of its stats. I probably should do something to get prepared for if I have to fight something stronger than myself." I reasoned, walking towards the opening towards the next area.

Within a minute, I set foot in the next clearing, only to be greeted by...

...YEP, YOU GUESSED IT!

 **Nine** Puppets!

"Oh, shit. Ah well, probably won't be too bad." I said, now looking at a much scarier amount of Puppets that are now coming at me in a formation that seems less like a semi-circle and more like a 'mostly-closed' circle. I had to turn my head back and forth to keep track of two of them that were very close to being in my blind spots.

I don't like this. However, experience in games has taught me the best strategy in this situation.

Keep calm, and thin them out. I have nine opponents, two that are at the edge of my vision, with the rest being an equal distance apart.

However, there is a small gap between the two that are near my blind spots. If there were ten Puppets, I have no doubt that the tenth would be in that spot. However, that spot is the 'make it or break it' opening.

So, turning sharply on my heels, I rushed towards the Puppet behind me on my right. It brought its hands into the 'hug' posture, so I ducked down and tackled it after its first swing. I pushed it near the tree line before letting it fall on the ground. I raised my foot up before stomping on the Puppet's chest as hard as I could. It wasn't enough to kill it, so I brought my foot up and repeated the action.

Ah, one down, eight to go.

* * *

- **Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

AGH!? NOT THE TIME FOR THIS!

Seeing this text box appear in front of my face, I pushed the 'X' button in the top-right corner to close it without even thinking about it, trying to focus on the fight.

The Puppet to my immediate left had gotten near me in the four seconds or so that it took me to dispose of its friend. Going for a horizontal swipe, I punched it in its face as it raised its limb. Staggered, I grabbed its arm with my left hand, I pulled it back towards me to punch it again with my right fist. The Puppet crumpled to the ground and faded away.

I then started circling around the group as a whole whilst they came closer. With now seven Puppets to deal with, they seemed to stumble against one another quite often. I managed to conglomerate them together into a pretty big group before I decided to go back to 'hit-and-run' tactics.

And so, for the next minute or so, I would take pot shots at the Puppets as they stumbled over one another. I didn't want to get close for long as there were always three of them ready to attack me at anytime. So, I would get close and jab one of them before back-stepping, only to repeat a few seconds later.

It was also a little difficult to keep track of which ones I'm hitting when they're all jumbled up. For all I know, I could be knocking all of them down to incredibly low health without actually defeating any because I don't finish them off.

Anyways, after a minute of this little dance, two of the Puppets fell. Another minute later, and four others fell.

Throwing one last punch at the last Puppet's chest, it crumpled to the ground and evaporated, leaving me all alone in the clearing.

I sighed slightly, deciding that it would be a good time to look at my 'Status Screen' to see what all has changed with my level up.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 2  
 **EXP:** 24/41  
 **HP:** 60/60 (+2.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 60/60 (+2.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **END:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 4 (1+2+1)

 **Stat Points:** 6

* * *

"Okay, so lets go over the differences between now and before. I think my level up gives me plus ten HP and MP, plus one to both my regen rates, and six points for my stats." I deduced, remembering what my 'Status Screen' looked like before.

Personally, I felt that if I was gonna be fighting more of these Puppets, then STR would be the way to go. I just fought a large group of them and they seemed relatively harmless, if only a little daunting for a moment. However, using a cheap strategy allowed me to get through unscathed. However, nothing bad would come of being able to do more damage to them, right?

Increasing my STR with all the points I got, I smiled at the rather pathetic number.

* * *

- **STR:** 13 (13+0+0)-

* * *

"Ah well, I'm going for the, pfft, 'Best Fucking Hokage Ever' route, so I need to be able to punch things really freaking hard..." I sighed, closing my 'Status Screen' and looking around the area.

I could clearly see the opening that would lead to the next area for me to fight in, but I couldn't help but wonder...

"Gamer Menu." I spoke, pulling up the white-and-black 'Main Menu' and going into the 'Skills/Magic Screen'.

Looking into the 'Magic Tab', I was enlightened to the source of my conundrum.

* * *

 **-Magic-**

 **[Observe] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 10/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP

 **-Use the basic ability of a [Gamer] to examine objects or people in order to learn more about them! For people, the level of [Observe] must be equal to or higher than their level in order to discern anything about them! For objects, the more mysterious or important an object is, the higher level [Observe] must be to learn anything!**

 **[ID: Create] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 10/100% – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this Magic, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.  
** **+[ID: Create – Empty]  
** **+[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1]**

 **[ID: Escape] – LVL: MAX – Active – Cost:** 0 MP

 **-Allows the player to escape and destroy an alternate dimension created by [ID: Create]. If you exit the alternate dimension in a public place, people around you will unconsciously avoid you for 15 seconds unless they are actively searching for you.**

* * *

"[Observe] and [ID: Create] both have EXP counts. It probably went up from when I used them before. Though, I've used [Observe] twice so far so it probably comes up with 5% EXP every time I use it. I can't imagine that it stays like that for higher levels. Anyways, my MP was refilled when I leveled up. This means that, in order to optimize the EXP for these 'Magic', I should probably get close to leveling up, then use up my MP on 'Magic', then go back in here to gain the level. That way, my MP is refilled automatically and I can go back to using it in the optimal fashion again." I explained to myself.

That's not weird.

Clicking on [ID: Escape], the area flashed brightly...

* * *

 **Japan - Park Area**

...before I found myself, once again, in the middle of the Japanese park I was in before.

However, I was surprised by a golden-framed screen appearing with the words 'Loot Obtained!' over top of it.

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-  
** -600 Yen  
-8x **Ragged Cloth**  
-1x **Medicinal Herbs**

* * *

Oh! Holy shit!

"Wait a sec, why the fuck would Dark Puppets have Yen?" I asked myself, wondering what the hell those creepy little 'mob monsters' would need money for.

What the hell were they anyway?

There was an 'accept' button on the bottom, which I pressed. The screen went away as I noticed that the currently 'time-stopped' park began to go into motion once again.

It seems that the 'Magic' didn't lie. Everyone around the area didn't react to me just 'poofing' back into existence in the middle of the park. I opened up the 'Magic Screen' again, causing time to be stopped **again** , before clicking on the [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1].

Seriously, is stopping time not a 'god-like' and 'dangerous' ability? Shouldn't there be limitations!?

Anyways, after another bright flash, I was back in the jungle-like area again.

* * *

 **[ID: Puppets LVL: 1]**

And, this time, from the treeline...

"Three, again? I guess the area was reset after I left..." I sighed, suddenly feeling like three Puppets were way too easy.

Ah well, I can at least judge my new STR against these guys.

As the Puppets began stumbling towards me like people who've just come out of a chiropractor's office, I ran forward and punched the middle one in the face as hard as I could.

I then backed away and used [Observe] on it.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 1  
 **HP:** 5/30  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 1  
 **END:** 1  
 **AGI:** 1  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Holy fucktard!? I just need a few more STR and I can one-shot these guys!" I shouted, ducking under a horizontal swipe from the one on the left. I punched that one in the groin with my right fist before jabbing it in the chest with my left.

It fell to the ground and evaporated.

"Pfft! This just got a **lot** easier..." I laughed as I cracked my knuckles.

A quick 'one-two' and a kick later, and the other two fell to my awesome might!

"I shouldn't be so proud for being able to beat the shit out of 'mob monsters'. Especially with the fact that, if its this easy, that means it only gets harder down the road." I sighed as I started moving towards the next area. However, almost as an afterthought, I checked my EXP.

* * *

- **EXP:** 33/41-

* * *

"What the...oh, wait..." I was about to question, before remembering that I took down eight other Puppets before I left and came back to this area. Eight plus three equals eleven. That means 33 EXP for these guys.

"Okay, so if I leave and come back, no wait...I can't do that. I only have 21 MP. I wouldn't be able to get back in for another...9 minutes? Or, I could just wait in here. Yep, I think I'll do that." I reasoned, before once again sighing.

"Oh yeah, [ID: Create] isn't the only thing I'm leveling up, is it? I also have [Observe]. Ah well, I'll just use it four times in the next area and then pummle them all, gain a level, then leave." I grinned as my plan was officially revised and ready to be put into action.

It'd feel a lot more satisfying if I wasn't just going to waste the MP on 'mob monsters'.

Ah well...

Going into the next area, I was again greeted by five Puppets.

"[Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]." I spoke, getting four identical informational screens for the four Puppets that I had used [Observe] on.

Rushing towards the one on the right, that I hadn't used [Observe] on, I ducked underneath it's swipe before shoulder-bashing it in the stomach. As it fell to the ground, I raised my foot up and slammed it down on its chest. It went limp and evaporated.

Turning to the others, I just sighed slightly before punching the one nearest me and reverting to my strategy of circling them. This time, instead of minutes, it only took about ten seconds to take two more down.

* * *

- **Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

"Yeah, okay."

Thus, I closed the notification and smacked the other two Puppets a few times each, resulting in their corpses leaving this realm.

"I think I overdid it a bit the first time. Seriously, why did I get hyped up? They're 'mob monsters'! I probably could've just charged headfirst into them and fucked them up without a care in the world. Besides, I was never this good at fighting in my previous life. Once I push these creepers on the ground, it's like 'WHAM!', as I slam my foot on their chests. Well, 'slam' is a bit of an exaggeration. It's kinda like stomping your foot, ya know? It makes the 'thunk' sound, and you just go about your day." I reasoned with myself as I brought up the 'Magic Screen' once again, selecting [ID: Escape] and using it.

* * *

 **Japan - Park Area**

With a flash of light, I was once again in the park.

This time, I wasn't as surprised by the golden-framed holographic screen that appeared.

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-  
** -400 Yen  
-5x **Ragged Cloth**

* * *

Pressing 'accept' on the bottom of the screen, time resumed in the park, only for me to stop it again.

I then used [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1] again once I navigated the menus.

Anyways, there was another flash, and I was here again...

* * *

 **[ID: Puppets LVL: 1]**

...

...UGGGGGGHHHHH...

"Why do I feel that I'm gonna be doing this...every, fucking, time, I level, up!?" I seethed, seeing the three Puppets emerging from the treeline.

The first time through, it was exciting and new.

The second time through, it wasn't much of a challenge.

The third time through...

"Ugh, 'Status Screen'." I ordered, quickly putting my six new points into STR.

It's gonna make this too easy, I know, but later on down the road, especially if I'm really in the DXD-verse, I'm gonna have to fight against **fucking LEGENDS!**

So, forgive me for being boring and choosing the 'smart' option.

No, wait a second...I'm becoming a 'muscle-head', so that means it's the 'dumb' option.

But, this is good strategy! I swear it is!

Anyways, I rushed at the Puppets, already dead-certain that I can...

...yep, I can one-shot them with a single punch. Though, to be fair, it probably only works when I punch really really hard.

I took out the middle one first before spinning towards the one on my right with my left fist cocked back. The Puppet was just barely getting ready to swing at me before I punched it into oblivion. I then back-stepped away as that Puppet was evaporating into black mist, managing to move out of range of the third one's vertical swipe.

Stepping forwards and grabbing the Puppet by its shoulders, I brought its head downwards before I smashed my knee into its face. The Puppet's feet left the ground as it flew back a few feet and landed, evaporating into black mist.

"Hah..." I sighed, pulling up my 'Status Screen' as I slowly walked towards the next area.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 3  
 **EXP:** 10/54  
 **HP:** 70/70 (+3.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 31/70 (+3.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 19 (19+0+0)  
 **END:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 7 (7+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 5 (1+3+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

* * *

"Hah, 19 STR and I'm able to one-shot these guys. I guess I'll use my next level up to raise my END and AGI. It also seems like my 'regen rates' are increasing mighty fast. At that rate, it'll take less than twenty minutes to fully recharge my HP while my MP would probably need a little longer. But, in a fight, that'll probably be my saving grace. After all, if I can buy a few minutes of time, then I can naturally recharge to the point that I can safely fight again." I reasoned, glancing over my information.

Whenever I played RPG's in the past, I never gave much thought to checking my 'Status Screen' after every fight or level up. I think the biggest difference is that, now, my **life** is a...[Game]. I'm not blind, nor do I not realize the similarities between myself...and whatever the fuck that guy's name was that got the [Gamer] ability out of fucking nowhere in that one 'web-comic'.

Qipun Hang? Lopow Wingo?

I don't fucking know! He was Korean, that much I remember!

Anyways, while there are small differences between us, such as my emphasis on 'GAMER PAWNCH!' and his emphasis on 'MAGIC SOLVES EVERYTHING!', overall I think we both share a small...basic...desire.

Don't become 'dead'.

I understand, roughly, that I am potentially in a world where there are beings who can erase my existence with a small cough. I have absolutely no delusional fantasies about becoming 'The Strongest'...

...but, this is a second chance at life. Or, at least, that's the sales pitch I received from those disembodied voices.

Taking that into consideration, I kinda want to 'play' this [Game], for all its worth.

Oh...huh, I just now thought of this.

If I have a second chance at life, has my appearance changed at all? After all, apparently I'm in Japan right now. The Japanese probably don't mind tourists and such, but if they see a...well, my 'Status Screen' says I'm 15 years old right now, American walking through the streets, they might become a little...'curious'...

I'll need to find a mirror somewhere. I want to know if I still look like a fat blonde dumpster-fire, or if I'm at least an unassuming young man.

Noticing that I entered the second area, I closed my 'Status Screen', and watched as five Puppets crawled out of the treeline. I resolved that after this next level up, I would do that [ID: Create – Empty] in order to expend the MP and help level up my [ID: Create], and then I would go find a mirror.

"Alright guys, I got shit to do, so let's fuckin' do this." I sassed at them as I rushed towards the one on the left.

24 seconds later, and five more Puppets had been brutally murdered.

I checked my EXP once again to make sure I was still on track.

* * *

- **EXP:** 25/54-

* * *

"Alright, so this next area will push me pretty close to a level up. Things are beginning to heat up a bit. The last time I was in the nine Puppet field, was my first time going through this place. Makes me feel **so** nostalgic. How long ago was that? Like, 20 minutes ago? Maybe 25." I reasoned, walking towards the next area without the slightest care that I was going to be going against nine Puppets.

Seriously, I mowed through eight of them like they were nothing!

Now, the weight of what I'm doing sets in on me...

...

...

"The 'grind'...it has begun. And all the guys were wondering why I hated 'stat-based RPG-games'..." I muttered, stepping into the next area, seeing the nine Puppets emerge from the treeline.

I put my hands together and cracked my knuckles, already knowing that my life as a 'grinding machine' has started.

"Alright, motherfuckers! Let's fucking go!" I shouted, pumping myself up for th-WASHAA!

"Karate...CHOP!"

"OHYA!"

"KIDNEY PUNCH!"

Most would probably think me strange for adding, admittedly, cool sound effects to what I was doing. However, until they're in a situation where they can one-sidedly take down nine enemies without much difficulty, then I say their opinions are invalid.

Seriously, it's kinda fun to beat the shit out of these guys.

"NUT SHOT!"

And, within about 30 seconds, I was done.

Nine Puppets vs. Me.

Me won!

And with that, I have officially beaten my previous record of areas cleared in one go! I know that it's only three right now, but I'm trying to be efficient.

I pulled up my EXP once more, just to make sure that my math was right.

* * *

 **-EXP:** 52/54-

* * *

Hm...so, I only need to kill one more Puppet to level up, huh?

I have a bit of an idea for a plan, but I need to check my MP first.

* * *

- **MP:** 36/70 (+3.1 MP/min)-

* * *

Huh, that's not too bad actually. I can either go into the next area and level up, or I can just wait for another minute plus change and not worry about it. If I wait, I would just exit out of this place before creating an 'Empty ID'. That would let me level up the [ID: Create] ability.

But...if I go ahead and fight through the next area, then I can level up [Observe] a bit. Then, I can kill one Puppet and then leave. I'd level up, get more stat points, have my MP refilled, and be able to do more and I...

...okay, I've convinced myself already.

Walking into the next area, I found that I would once again have to face Puppets.

15 Puppets, to be exact.

"God, this is getting ridiculous. Alrighty! I have 36 MP, so I can do this seven times. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]."

I use my ability on seven of the Puppets, getting identical information windows for each one.

They're no different than all the ones I faced before. Always having those same low stats...

Ah well, I'll just kill one of them quickly.

"WHAM!"

* * *

 **-Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

And...[ID: Escape].

* * *

 **Japan - Park Area**

Ahh...I guess I'll go check on my appearance an-LOOT SCREEN!

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-  
** -1,100 Yen  
-7x **Ragged Cloth**  
-2x **Medicinal Herbs**

* * *

"Okay. I'mma just check on what the hell these 'Medicinal Herbs' are." I said, closing the 'Loot Screen' before opening my 'Inventory'.

Under the 'Items' tab, there was an icon of a green leaf with yellow spots on it.

* * *

 **-Items-**

 **+Medicinal Herb – Qty: 3 – Rarity: Uncommon  
** **-Price (Selling): (500 Yen)  
** **-Consumable  
** **-Effect: Heals up to 10 HP  
** **-Ingredient Quality: 1/10 (Garbage)**

* * *

"Okay, that's pretty good for a low level item. Healing 10 HP on the fly just might save my life at these levels. Especially when my overall HP regen is...

* * *

- **HP:** 80/80 (+4.7 HP/minute)-

* * *

"Oh yeah, I leveled up again. Better make sure to put my points in AGI and END this time..." I said, remembering about my earlier plan for this. I have six points, so I'll do three per. This keeps them equal, funny enough.

* * *

 **-END:** 10 (10+0+0)-

 **-AGI:** 10 (10+0+0)-

* * *

Hey, being a muscle-head is fine, so long as I'm not slow or fragile. I'll increase INT and MAG when I find out how useful they can be for me...or, if I'm just gonna keep fighting Puppets...

...hmm, I think it would be good if I started saving my points. If I beat this quest, then I'll get those 'Tokens' for 'Skills' and 'Magic'. I might need to invest in my points more wisely in order to meet the requirements for any of the skills I'd want...

Okay, I'm gonna save my points for a while! Besides, if the worst I have to fight are Puppets, then this is gonna be easy!

I don't think I've forgotten anything important, so I guess its time for me to take a break from my small grinding venture and go see the sights.

Specifically, my sights.

Closing the screens in front of me, the world around me resumed its flow without a hitch. As all the people around me started moving again, I began walking down a pathway through the park.

As I walked, I noticed that, for a short time, people were walking around me like there was an invisible barrier that stuck out ten feet from me on every side.

However, after a few seconds, they stopped going around and merely passed me by like they would anyone else.

I guess that was that secondary ability of [ID: Escape]...

...Oh yeah! I almost forgot!

Opening up an 'Empty ID' and exiting it quickly, I drained some of my MP and gained some EXP for my skill.

* * *

 **[ID: Create] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 40/100% – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this spell, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.  
** **+[ID: Create – Empty]  
** **+[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1]**

* * *

And with that, I continued my 'journey'.

Another two minutes of walking through the park, I finally came to an exit. There was an open walkway that seemed to go around the park, if the area in front of me is anything to go by.

Across the walkway, however, was a discount store. I could tell by all the signs around it advertising what kinds of 'sick ass' deals you can get by shopping there.

Since I'm kind of on a budget with all my...2,100 Yen.

What is that, like twenty bucks?

Ah well, I can at least go in and look. Discount stores usually have mirrors or changing rooms. Looking down at my clothes, for the first time since I woke up in that void before, I noticed...

...that I was wearing a slightly dirty over-sized white t-shirt, deep blue jeans and black tennis shoes.

All of my clothes seemed to have a bit of dirt on them. My shoes were the dirtiest, but I didn't exactly have the luxury to care much about appearances right now.

Even though I know that Japanese people are afraid of germs, I waltz inside of the discount store, only to find that it is almost devoid of any life. Racks of clothes were lined up on the right, whilst a bunch of cheap 'general crap' was situated on the left. There was a desk with a cash register on it next to me on the right.

However, nobody was manning it. Or, they were on a bathroom break or something.

I don't freaking know.

Anyways, I went ahead and started walking through the 'general crap' aisles. They didn't have any mirrors, but I did notice a dressing room in the back with the door opened wide, showing that nobody was inside.

Entering the room and closing the door I turned towards a mirror that was on the inside and noted that my appearance was **leagues** different now than it was before I woke up in the void.

My hair was blonde and four inches long all around. It was slightly brushed to the left, though with all the fighting I've done recently, it seems to have become a bit disheveled. My eyes were the same deep blue that I was used to. My facial structure (that fucking sounds weird to think about) showed definite signs of being male. At least I won't be considered a trap by anyone...

My body, though, showed the most change. I was a fat-fuck in my previous life, but now my entire body is slim. Like, slimmer than would be considered healthy. My limbs looked like they had nothing on them but skin and bones. I lifted my over-sized shirt up to see my torso. It looked...ehh...

Overall, it was alright, I guess. Slim, but I can live with this. Maybe boosting my stats up really high will let me get a more...attractive body?

I can't believe I just thought that. It's strange to equate physical beauty with numbers, I know...

...ya gotta believe me, that's how it literally seems to be with my life now!

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 4  
 **EXP:** 1/70  
 **HP:** 80/80 (+5.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 80/80 (+4.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 19 (19+0+0)  
 **END:** 10 (10+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 10 (10+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 6 (1+4+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

* * *

 **AN: Ahh, it feels mighty good to finally finish that chapter. I'm gonna be posting the up-to-date 'Status Screen' after every chapter, so everyone can keep up with Douglas Roland's impressive *cough* notforlong *cough* growth.**

 **I will probably avoid having so many inclusions of the 'Status Screen' or repeated 'Observed Screens' from hereon out. It's too stressful for me.**

 **Thank You So Much For Reading!**

 **Note: Chapter 3, will NOT, under ANY (hopefully) circumstances, take ANYWHERE, (NEAR), as LONG, to come out!**


	3. Chapter 3 - How

**Hello, and welcome to Chapter 3.**

 **To all of you who left all of those sweet 'one-line' reviews, they are kind of like cookies. I am an obese American with no-life and a stash of booze underneath my computer desk.**

 **I do love the cookies, and I appreciate each and every person that gave one to me.**

 **Honorable Mentions:**

 _ **sundrawnshadow**_

 _ **sonle**_

 _ **Tsunashi777**_

 _ **Lexus-Regis**_

 _ **Kaijo Mikawa**_

 _ **massone22**_

 _ **Cf96**_

 _ **Guest #2**_

 _ **omega9028–(To answer your question about a possible spoiler)- ;)**_

 _ **BIG K.R.I.T.**_

 _ **Jack vile Ripper**_

 _ **Gabriel790**_

 _ **OSR fanatic**_

 _ **BANKAIZEN**_

 **Now, I shall start the story. Thank you everyone for choosing to read – DXD: One Gamer's Tale!**

* * *

 **EDIT 5/22/17: I went back to make some slight tweaks to emphasize Douglas Roland's play-style as being 'skill-based' and not 'by the books'.**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER:** Why would I even want to own Highschool DXD anyway? I don't freaking like Rias, so I'd probably just say that fucking Gasper is the Main Heroine. No, I'm fine with some story ideas and a make-believe American OC who beats up Puppets for a living.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech" = Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

 _"Disembodied Voices"_ = Schizophrenic stuff.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: How...nope. Screw it.**

* * *

After leaving the discount store where I found my appearance had changed to a slim, blonde-haired, blue-eyed homeless looking dude wearing a dirty white t-shirt, baggy blue jeans, and black sneakers (at least, from what everyone can see), I decided that I would go ahead and explore the area around.

So, turning right from the discount store, I started walking down a sidewalk. There were only two more businesses lined up to my right before I saw houses in a 'slightly' closed off community.

As I walked, I decided to try working out more details concerning how I should train up.

First, I'd like to hurry and complete this first [Quest] so that I can get those 'Tokens' in order to buy new abilities. Considering that's the only way for me to increase my options for how I fight, it seems like I'd be able to form a better 'game plan' if I had those.

So, yeah, I think that would be the best thing for me to do right away. But, in order to do that, I need to reach level 10 through 'grinding'...

...uhh...training? Grinding? Grind Training?

Anyways, it seems like 'grinding' is going to take up a significant portion of my time, especially at the start of this new life of mine. However, I don't want to devote every waking second to it. That's not how I play games, after all.

Seriously, I could imagine that there are a lot of people out there that, if they became [Gamers], they would sacrifice every little aspect of their lives to the [Game] and do nothing but 'grind' all day. They'd probably even be something like, 'Oh, I can just create Skills and such by performing repeated actions!'.

Guess what? That apparently doesn't work here.

I've used hand-to-hand combat against 42 Dark Puppets. And I haven't gotten any kinds of 'Skills' for doing so.

Not to mention, this little number...

* * *

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Fiction Adaptation] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **-Allows the player to learn and use any ability, regardless of logic. In order to learn a new ability, the player must purchase it from the 'Skill Store' or the 'Magic Store'. Any ability may be manually used, but the player won't gain it as a 'Skill' or 'Magic', thus forcing the player to only be able to use it manually until the ability is bought.**

* * *

So, that basically means that I can't just create 'Skills' or 'Magic' on the fly. Not with the intention of them actually becoming 'Skills' or 'Magic', anyways. If I want to use an ability without actually buying it, then I'll have to perform it **completely manually** until I actually buy it from the 'Store'.

It sucks, I know. However, I can only imagine the kind of 'LSD-hell' life would become if any [Gamer] could just 'create' the 'Skills' and 'Magic' they want, all by themselves. It would be interesting, true, but at the same time it wouldn't present any kind of challenge.

After all, isn't the point of a [Game] to have fun and overcome challenges? I can't really call 'killing Puppets' a challenge anymore, but I know there are terrifying things lying ahead.

Besides, if I die simply because I took the time to try and enjoy my life...it fucking sucks, but I think a lot of people would be okay with that.

YOLO!

But, I'll just be clear with myself, I don't **want** to die.

I was walking down the sidewalk, giving small glances to the scenery around me. The trees in the park, to my left, still had their green leaves. So, the seasons haven't started to change yet, huh?

Looking past the outer tree-line, I could see some walkways going around just at the edge of the park. I have the feeling that this park is most likely the one where Raynare is set to kill Issei.

Looking past the park, I saw kind of an outline of the city beyond. I'm not close enough to discern any notable details, but I think that, all in all, this city looks a lot like any other city you find. There were about thirty or so skyscrapers in the distance, indicating the business district, whilst I was walking on the border of one of the sub-urban districts. On my right, behind a five foot high concrete wall, I could make out the second stories of multiple houses all lined up in rows and columns...but what caught my attention when I noticed the wall was how close in height I was to it.

"Okay, either my depth perception is way off, or I've shrunk...oh yeah, age change. I use to be 20, now I'm 15." I mumbled to myself, stopping next to the wall for a moment. I don't know why I kept forgetting stuff like this.

Meh...

I did a quick 'height test' against the wall. You know, the one where you hold a hand to the top of your head, then you measure the distance between your hand and another object by holding your hand over it.

Eh...looks just shy of three inches. Well, I guess I'm about **5'3''** in this new body of mine!

"Mommy, what's that guy doing?" asked a little girl behind me, who was likely on a walk through the park with her 'mother'. She sounded nothing but curious, but then the 'mother' spoke up.

"Sweetie, we don't point at 'special' strangers who don't even know how tall they are." I heard a more 'elderly' female voice speak up, before the sounds of rushed footsteps seemed to carry off deeper into the park.

I'm pretty sure I was just called 'retarded' by a Japanese woman.

 **Pfft!**

She's funny! I like her!

After all, it takes a 'special' kind of person to think that the opinions of strangers, especially 'rude' strangers, matter.

Getting over the half-assed hot sauce I had just tasted due to the strange lady's comment took only like a one-hundredth of a second.

And with that, I continued on my way down the sidewalk. Coming up on a small intersection, I saw the gate having an opening in it with a walkway, similar to the one I am currently on, coming out of it.

I don't particularly feel like going through a sub-urban area with hardly any reason too. So, lifting up the hem of my shirt and shoving my hands in the pockets of my baggy jeans, I made sure to distance myself from the walkway so as to not accidentally walk into anyone.

And, due to probably being in an anime-esque universe, this happens.

"...-san, I'm telling you! I saw someone 'poofing' in an out of thin air in the middle of the park!" came a...well, somewhat high-pitched, English girl's voice.

However, that description certainly raised an alarm in my head, for **some odd** reason.

*Wink*

Truthfully, even when I was just about to the walkway, I still didn't see a girl coming out of it. That is, until a flash of yellow-and-white appeared at entrance to the sub-urban area and I feel something tackle into my abdomen.

"BLEH!?"

...Okay, that was me. Having something that has as much mass as a human being tackle you in your gut when you weren't prepared for it **in the slightest** often tends to force air out of your lungs in a comedically-accepted noise that sounds like it would come out of a cartoon or an anime.

"Kyaa!"

No fucking idea who made **that** noise?

Yes, you do! Don't lie!

As both the girl in question and myself went tumbling to the ground, I felt an incredibly sharp pain in my gut. The kind of pain you feel when you walk really fast and end up bumping into the corner of a counter-top in...just the worst kind of angle.

I rolled on the ground a few times before finally coming to a stop. Feeling the ground against the back of my head, I opened my eyes thinking I would see the sky in all its, kinda orange-ish, glory. However, I saw a red flashing screen in front of my face.

* * *

 **-WARNING-**

 **-HP: CRITICAL-**

 **-HP:** 7/80-

* * *

...

"Fffffuuuuuuuuucccckkk..." I groaned, feeling the pain ebb away as I sat up. Getting onto my feet, I looked over at the girl that just ran into me and brought me down by 73 HP, almost killing me in one-shot.

Golden-blonde hair reaching her lower back, the girl was sitting up with her legs splayed out underneath her in that 'typical girl pose if they wear a skirt', kinda posture. Her steely-gray eyes were looking down at the ground as a hint of red graced her porcelain cheeks and...uh...

Wearing a white sundress that came down to her knees with a blue flower pattern over it and some expensive looking exotic-wooden sandals, she looked to be about my age.

Ah, she looks...kinda familiar for some reason.

Getting up to my feet and going over to the 'poor' lady that almost killed me on accident, I extended a hand down in front of her. Seeing my hand, apparently caused her to realize what all had happened. She looked up into my eyes, allowing me to have a **really** good look at her face.

...

...Uh...[Observe].

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Yumi Kiba  
 **Age:** 15  
 **Race:**?  
 **Affiliation:**?

 **LVL:** 22  
 **HP:** 1,215/1,216  
 **MP:** 1,836/1,836

 **STR:**?  
 **END:** 596  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:**?  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:** ?

* * *

...

...Yumi? Kiba?

They put fucking gender-bent Kiba in here!?

What the fuck's with that END!? **He-she** took one point of fucking damage!?

I ALMOST FUCKING DIED!

...and only a little bit after I got through with the whole 'I will accept death if I at least enjoyed my life' schtick!

"Ah! I must've ran into you on accident! I'm so sorry!" the girl in front of me spoke, reaching out a dainty hand to take my own as I helped her back onto her feet. She had an embarrassed expression on her face, which led me to believe that she genuinely didn't mean to almost kill me.

"It's, uh, no problem. You hurt?" I replied, trying to be polite despite the fact that this girl could very well rat me out, probably to Rias, and then I'll be faced with an interrogation.

Yumi shook her head slowly.

"No, I'm quite alright. What about you? I was running pretty fast before, so I can't imagine it didn't hurt to get hit by me like that." she said, though I already pretty much knew that she wasn't hurt.

Fucking 596 END.

And that fucking hurt, too!

"Eh, just a bit of damage to my gut and my manly pride. I'll recover well enough, though." I answered her, rubbing the area she hit me with a small wince on my face.

My pitiful actions earned me the priviledge of seeing the girl in front of me blush deeply in embarrassment. She bowed at the waist.

"Please forgive me, I wa-Ara ara, Yumi-chan? What exactly happened here?" came another female voice, this one sounding all 'fancy', from the entrance to the sub-urban area.

Only one person in DXD talks like that. But, why the hell am I hearing Japanese mixed with English?

Ara ara? Isn't that like 'oh my, oh my'?

Looking up from Yumi who has stopped bowing to me in order to turn around towards the other speaker, I see a much more familiar female walking towards us.

Long black hair tied in a ponytail with an orange ribbon, purple eyes, wearing a purple sundress with a black flower pattern that showed a body that wasn't as developed as it is in canon. I also noted that, like girl's sometimes do, these two must have agreed on a pre-determined dress code. The small 'clack, clack' sound of her own exotic-wooden sandals almost echoed in the area as I sighed at seeing Rias's [Queen] in the flesh.

Used to be my favorite girl, then got the carpet ripped out from underneath her by my current favorite.

Hah...[Observe].

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Akeno Himejima  
 **Age:** 16  
 **Race:**?  
 **Affiliation:**?

 **LVL:** 30  
 **HP:** 3,294/3,294  
 **MP:** 5,974/5,974

 **STR:** 974  
 **END:**?  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:**?  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:** ?

* * *

Well, bend me over and fuck me with a pipe wrench!

Though, with the fact that I can see one of each of their stats, and with knowing what their fighting styles are in the series, I'll just assume that I can see their 'weakest stat' when the level my [Observe] is at is less than the other person's overall level.

Fucking hell, though. Yumi **nearly** killed me on **accident**. Akeno would most likely have just straight-up killed me.

"Ah, Akeno-san! I, um, I ran into this person here by accident. I was just trying to apologize for that is all." Yumi replied to her friend. Akeno looked at me, glancing over my entire appearance with an appraising look. Raising a hand up to her mouth, she giggled softly into it.

"Ufufu, so that's all it was? Yumi-chan, whilst I'm not one to judge other's tastes, doesn't it seem that you like your boys nice and dirty?"

Wow, Akeno's taking this chance in order to tease her friends! Who could've freaking guessed!?

"A-Akeno-san! He is not 'my boy'! He's a stranger that I ran into!" Yumi denied, sounding 'oh so authentic', whilst also seeming to say something that caused Akeno to take this a bit seriously.

"Ara? So, you 'ran' into him? Young man, are you okay?" she asked, turning to me with a more focused look in her eyes than when she was teasing her friend. I just sighed slightly.

"Other than a sharp pain in my gut, I'm fine. I barely even saw your friend coming. But, I reckon this ain't anything to get our panties in a twist over." I assured them, rubbing the aching area whilst thinking that **maybe** taking this [Game] a little more seriously wouldn't be bad.

Keeping her gaze locked on me for a few seconds, she nods slightly, giving me a graceful smile.

"Ufufu, well then, I hope you forgive Yumi-chan. She was going on about something that seemed a bit nonsensical. In other words, she was simply excited." she spoke, walking forwards to stand with her friend. I sighed a bit and nodded.

"Nah, it's cool. Yumi, huh? Just try to keep a better eye on your surroundings from now on, alright?" I spoke to the blonde, she just gave an embarrassed chuckle as she nodded.

"Yes, I promise." she replied, giving me a smile before her and Akeno walked off.

Siiiiiiiggggghhhh...

Safe!

God freaking damn it, that was WAY too close for my comfort!

So, people like Yumi can see me 'poof' in and out of existence. That's...a little disconcerting.

Well, from what it seemed, I think that I 'poofed' in and out of Yumi's sight so quick and so infrequently that she wasn't able to get any good details about how I looked.

However, seeing a glimpse of the stats of some of the main characters in the series, even if they might not be as strong as their 'canon selves' yet, was probably a really good thing.

Humans in this world are at a huge fucking disadvantage. More than I thought to be possible.

When I brought up the idea of there being people in this world that can kill me easily, I was more worried about people like Rizevim and Loki. You know, **GOD-LIKE PEOPLE!**

I didn't really think that I'd almost be done in on accident by a, for now, 'grunt character'!

I pulled up the [Gamer Menu]. The black-and-white screen showed itself as time stopped around me.

* * *

 **-Gamer Menu-**

 **+Status**

 **+Inventory**

 **+Skills/Magic**

 **+Store**

 **+Friends List**

 **+Options**

 **+Help**

* * *

Alright, I'm gonna start thinking of a better way to get stronger. Using my 'Stat Points' from my 'level ups' has allowed me to take care of those Puppets without much trouble.

However, after seeing the stats of a couple of Reincarnated Devils, I'm fairly certain that mine won't add up if things keep going as they are.

So, I opened up the 'Help Screen'.

With a red screen popping up, my attention was drawn to the only things on the screen.

A 'search bar' with a holographic keyboard underneath it, along with some words above the 'search bar'.

* * *

 _ **-Please type either keywords or a question pertaining to the [Gamer] system-**_

* * *

Hmm, I've only ever seen MMORPG's with a format like this.

Ah well...

I'll start with my first question being about more...'ordinary' ways of becoming stronger.

* * *

 _ **-Please type either keywords or a question pertaining to the [Gamer] system-**_

 _-What are the different ways I can increase my stats besides leveling up?-_

* * *

Pressing the 'enter' key on the keyboard, the screen shifted to show something of a list of entries that detailed...'patches', I assume.

If there are 'patches' for this [Game], then I have a feeling that normal methods of getting stronger won't work so well...

 **(((Please note that you don't have to read all of this. I have a summarized version afterwards, or you can just skim through. There's nothing of super importance in this section that won't be explained later on in a...less stressful format.)))**

* * *

 **-Search Completed!-**

 _ **-Version x1.2150699: The concept of 'training' was finalized so that [Gamers] can increase their Base Stats by going through various types of training such as physical exercise, magic manipulation, endurance training, etc. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x1.2151234: The concept of 'items' have been introduced which allow for [Gamers] to modify their 'Stats' using them. These 'items' include, but are not limited to: Weapons, Armor, Clothing, and Consumables. These 'items' can be purchased from the 'Store'. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x1.3254400: The concept of 'training' seems to favor [Gamers] who use either irregular or outlandish types of training. Upon further review, the [Architect] has seen fit to impose limits upon the amount of training a [Gamer] may put themselves through. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x2.1341211: After the [Gamer Wars], the [Architect] has restricted 'training' only to those who comply with the [Gamer Rule-book]. This was due to the fact that many of the older and more experienced [Gamers] did not believe that the rules applied to them. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x2.2540001: After careful review, the [Architect] has completely out-lawed 'training' in it's original form. In an interview, he stated that, "The [Gamer] system was meant to make people happy. To allow them to live their lives in a rewarding and fun way. [Competitive Gaming] wouldn't be as much of a problem if those who practiced it were to try and have fun as well. However, [Competitive Gamers] and [Hackers] have done nothing but become, in a literal sense, 'trolls' and 'munchkins'. Plus, those [Gamers] who are already in a position of power or wealth have incredibly easy access to 'training' that is considered 'god-like'. We simply wish to make the [Game] a little more challenging and fun for the [Gamers] who merely wish to play, instead of giving those who wish to 'bend and break the rules' a free pass in a system that, with enough time, can turn even the most worthless of losers into the mightiest of gods." (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x3.1415: In an effort to encourage [Gamers] to complete both [Campaign Quests] and regular [Quests], the [Architect] has introduced the 'Bonus' system. For every [Campaign Quest] completed, the [Gamer] will gain one or more 'Rank Increase' and 'Stat Bonus'. As your 'Rank' increases, so does your 'Race Bonus' (example: +1/level - +2/level). 'Stat Bonus' works the same way, but you can assign them to whatever 'Stats' you wish.**_

 _ **For Regular [Quests], though, the [Game] gives you a different type of 'Bonus'. You can increase either your Base HP or MP with 'HP Bonus' or 'MP Bonus'. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x3.1514: In order to reward a [Gamer]'s hard work towards a focused goal, the [Architect] has introduced the [Title] system. [Gamers] who either achieve great feats or practice repetitive choices (such as killing hordes upon hordes of a certain kind of monster), may earn a [Title] for themselves.**_

 _ **[Titles] can raise stats exponentially, or make certain 'Skills' or 'Magic' easier or less costly to use. [Titles] can even have the effect of making it so that its easier to form personal and long-lasting relationships with other people. (Click for details).-**_

* * *

"Hm...those other fucking [Gamers] fucking ruined it for the rest of us, huh?" I grumbled, glancing back through the different passages I read to summarize things.

* * *

 **-Ways to Git Gud!-**

 **1\. Level Up – Simple enough...**

 **2\. Get a [Title] – Probably will, sooner or later...**

 **3\. Get good 'items' – Will probably take a while...**

 **4\. Do [Quests], Get [Bonus] – Seems quite promising at that moment...**

* * *

"For the moment, I need to find out how good these 'Bonuses' are. If they're like that example they gave me, then those 'Bonuses' are the way to get really good, really fast." I deduced, exiting out of the 'Help Screen' and going into the 'Skill Store'.

I know I'm gonna be getting 'Tokens' from this [Quest], so I'm gonna find what 'Skills' and 'Magic' would be good for me to get.

Hmm, looking at the list before me, it seems like all the 'Skills' and 'Magic' on the screen are, how you say, 'general'.

Things like 'Blacksmithing', 'Enchantment', 'Swordsmanship' for 'Skills', and various fields of 'Magic' consisting of types like 'Necromancy', 'Summoning', and those 'Elemental-Attack Spells'.

However, going by the pattern of the 'Chakra Fruit' that I searched for in the 'Exclusive Items' tab in the 'Store', I typed in 'Chakra' in the search bar located in the upper-right corner.

I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up under the 'Skill Store' tab.

* * *

 **-Skill Store-**

* * *

 **+[Chakra Manipulation] (Naruto) – Rank: E**

 **-Price: 1 Skill Token  
**

 **-Requirements: 20 STR, 20 END, 20 MAG**

 **-Description: By combining your 'physical' and 'spiritual' energies, you can create Chakra. Through the use of Chakra, you gain the ability to perform various kinds of feats known as Jutsu.**

 **-1st Effect: Gain 'Chakra Bar' -Maximum Chakra Amount: (Base STR)+(Base END)+(Base MAG)**

 **-2nd Effect: Gain 'Base Chakra Regeneration': 1/min**

 **-EXP Gain: 5**

 **-(Purchasing this 'Skill' will grant you access to any [Rank: E] 'Skills' or 'Magic' that involve Jutsu.)**

* * *

...huh.

That would actually be something worth considering...

I mean, I may not understand everything about 'Naruto', but all of those different 'Jutsu' would definitely be a boon to have. Not to mention that it'd give me another 'energy bar', so that I wouldn't have to rely on **just** MP.

I think that'll work. The requirements are really low too, but seeing a [Rank] like that, makes it seem like this ability will have to increase in [Rank] somehow before I get access to the better 'Jutsu'.

Now, the only way to know if [Chakra Manipulation] is worth getting right now is to see what kinds of 'Jutsu' I'd have access to.

So, I typed the phrase 'Jutsu (Naruto): [Rank: E].' into the 'search bar'. I don't know the syntax that this 'system' used, but the results still came up nicely. This time, though, the screen immediately shifted over to the 'Magic Store' tab, showing multiple different icons detailing all the different kinds of '[Rank: E] Jutsu' that are available.

This is gonna take a while...

Ah well, with the world effectively 'paused', I can look for as long as I want without too much trouble ensuing.

* * *

And, like so, I spend forty-five minutes looking at not only a bunch of 'Jutsu', but also a variety of other kinds of 'Skills' and 'Magic'.

I think I already know what kind of 'skill set' I want. It may not be the most creative 'skill set' in existence, but it's the one I want to go with.

For now, at least...

I now have a decent plan to get stronger. It's gonna take a lot of work, but everyone knows how Rome was built, right?

However, I think I'll just go back to the 'Help Screen' for now and look up some other topics that came up in my recent search.

[Competitive Gamer]...

[Hacker]...

I'm quite familiar with those terms where I'm from, but it's definitely a good idea to see what they mean in the [Gamer System].

It's my first play-through of this particular [Game]. If I have to deal with a bunch of 'competitive assholes' who, instead of playing the [Game], are more interested in bullying the 'fresh fish' for their own stupid amusement, then I want to know how serious I should prepare against them.

After all, I was almost killed by a main character bumping into me. That's not even taking into consideration the fact that Kiba, even if he is a chick now, was pretty much a 'grunt' before Issei showed up.

I don't want to die to neither the characters in the story, nor by another [Gamer] who just happens to think that I need to be shown the 'pecking order'.

Besides, I may not have played video games 'competitively', but I was still pretty damn good at playing anyways.

What I was shown...

 **(((Again, you don't HAVE to read this. I will explain it again at a later time when it is genuinely relevant. If you want to, though...)))**

* * *

 **-Search Completed!-**

 _ **-Version x2.130: [Competitive Gaming] is a term that specifies [Gamers] who devote most, if not all, of their time towards 'grinding', 'farming', completing [Quests] and challenging other [Gamers] to [Gamer Duels]. [Competitive Gamers] are well known for showing very little interest in 'living' inside of any given universe, and instead choose to forgo any sense of a 'normal lifestyle' in favor of playing the [Game].**_

 _ **After the [Gamer Wars], the [Architect] announced that: "[Competitive Gaming] shall not be prohibited, but shall be restricted to only amongst [Competitive Gamers]. If any [Competitive Gamer] starts causing problems amongst [Casual Gamers], then they won't be allowed to play the [Game] anymore. Some [Gamers] only ever seem to have fun when they play in the 'competitive scene'. I understand this, as do a lot of people. It's just a part of what [Gamers] are. However, since the [Game] now involves the 'lives' of the [Gamers], I feel like we should be more respectful of each other's 'preferred playstyles'." (Click for details).-**_

* * *

 _ **-Version x2.130: [Hacker] is a derogatory term that specifies [Gamers], mostly the [Elder Gamers], who spend their time acquiring specific 'skillsets' that allow them to 'bend and break the rules' in any universe they show up in. [Hackers] usually go out of their way in order to assert their 'dominance' and 'superiority' over other [Gamers], be they [Competitive] or [Casual]. Due to their specific 'skillsets', however, hardly any [Casual Gamer] or [Competitive Gamer] can stand against them on 'fair grounds'.**_

 _ **After the [Gamer Wars], the [Architect] announced that: "[Hacking] shall be prohibited from now on, simply because [Hackers] never bring anything other than 'trouble' and 'suffering' to the other [Gamers]. I created this [Game] for people to have fun and live rewarding and pleasant lifestyles. There will always be hardships and trials throughout 'life', but that is a fact that everybody has to deal with. [Hackers], however, have shown that they have no qualms whatsoever about bringing 'pain', 'humiliation', 'sadness' and 'grief' towards their fellow [Gamers]. I will not stand for these 'insolent and disrespectful brats' turning their abilities upon their brethren with malicious intent all for the sake of their own sadistic amusement. Any [Gamer] found to be [Hacking] will suffer immediate 'banning' from the [Game]. The [Game] is supposed to be for the 'majority' to enjoy, not for a couple of 'shitty brats' to play 'God'." (Click for details).-**_

* * *

...man, what the hell are those guys thinking!?

Seriously, if you want to [Hack] the damn [Game], then do it only among yourselves! Don't fucking bring [Casual Gamers] into that shit!

[Competitive Gaming] doesn't really sound so bad, so long as they keep to themselves. I can understand the whole [Competitive] 'mindset', but I wouldn't want to show off to a bunch of [Casual Gamers].

I also kind of want to live out my life here in the DXD-verse, since it sounds like a lot of fun (so long as I get good enough to defend myself, first!). So, I think I'll try to stay out of everyone's way for a while.

However, the next thing I can think of that I need to know is...

What the hell do my 'Stats' actually pertain to?

Well, one 'Stat' in particular. The others are actually pretty self-explanatory, but one of them...

INT...

* * *

 **-Search Completed!-**

 _ **-Version 1.0: The purpose of each 'Stat' is listed below.**_

 _ **STR: Indicates physical strength and basic attack power.**_

 _ **END: Indicates physical endurance and HP Regeneration Rate.**_

 _ **AGI: Indicates speed and reflexes.**_

 _ **INT: Indicates 'Skill' and 'Magic' EXP Gain rate.**_

 _ **MAG: Indicates magical strength and MP Regeneration Rate.**_

 _ **LUK: Indicates Item Drop Rate and overall luckiness.**_

 _ **Click on any of these entries for 'details'.-**_

* * *

So...my 'INT' is basically what governs how fast my 'Skills' and 'Magic' get stronger? Definitely worth investing in at a later time. But, for the moment, I feel like my physical stats still should take priority, if only because their more useful when protecting myself.

Alright! I think I'm gonna go back into the 'Puppet ID' in order to do some serious 'grinding'! After all, there's no other way for me to get stronger right now.

So, I exited out of the 'Help Screen' and went into the 'Skills/Magic Screen'.

The grind has re-begun!

* * *

 **2 hours later**

 **[ID: Puppets – LVL: 1]**

"And...Bitch slap!" I yelled as I struck down the 264th Puppet in my 'grind' to get to level ten.

Funny enough, I found something out after about half an hour into my training...

...apparently, I don't feel fatigue. At least, even now after going through two hours of fighting Puppets, I still haven't felt even the slightest bit winded or tired.

It's kind of weird. I can definitely understand that I have just gone through, from the perspective of a regular 20 year old guy, an extreme amount of physical exertion.

Therefore, I should feel at least a **little** tired...

However, I **don't**.

Though, from the perspective of a game character, it makes a little sense. After all, if a character felt fatigue in the middle of a video game, they wouldn't be able to perform all that well, no matter how skilled the player might be.

Run for hours on end? No sweat.

Fight hundreds of enemies easily? No problem.

Stay awake for months without any kind of rest whatsoever? Pfft! Give me a fucking challenge!

Anyways, after defeating that last Puppet, who was luckily enough the last member of the group in the clearing I was in, the familiar message popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **-Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

Closing that window, I bring up my 'Status Screen' since I haven't done it in over an hour. After a while, I just started counting how many Puppets I'd have to kill to level up instead of constantly watching my 'Status Screen'.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 10  
 **EXP:** 0/258  
 **HP:** 140/140 (+11.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 140/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 19 (19+0+0)  
 **END:** 10 (10+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 10 (10+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 12 (1+10+1)

 **Stat Points:** 36

* * *

"Mm, it feels kind of satisfying seeing so many 'Stat Points' just waiting to be spent. However, it'd probably be a good idea for me to go ahead and keep holding onto those. The way that the [Quest] was worded, I have very little doubt that I'm gonna have to fight a 'boss monster' one way or another..." I spoke, glancing over my information.

To be honest, I doubt I'll be able to skate by without spending those 'Stat Points' soon. However, it would be best for me to find out what kind of enemy I'll be facing in order to complete the [Quest]...aaannd a golden-framed screen just appeared in front of me with a bunch of large-font white print.

* * *

 **-Congratulations! You have reached Level 10!-**

 **-You have gained access to the 'Boss ID' [ID: Dark Puppet's Temple]!-**

 **-Do you wish to go there now? Or do you wish to prepare first?-**

 **\+ Go there now!**

 **\+ I'd rather be safe than sorry...**

* * *

"Um, I'll go later, thank you very much." I responded, choosing the bottom option.

Seriously, it's my first play-through and the [Game] is already trying to rush me. Never mind the fact that I apparently have an entire month to complete this [Quest] and I've already reached the 'minimum level requirement' within four hours.

I'll just do a little bit of preparation, the kind where you sell useless junk and buy armor/weapons/healing items.

I'll go ahead and spoil it a little for anyone watching...

...I had already made a plan for what I'll buy when I browsed the 'Store' earlier!

Pulling up my 'Inventory Screen', I went into the 'Clothing/Armor' tab, seeing one entry inside of it that I found when searching for the 'Ragged Cloths' that I got when I killed the Puppets.

* * *

 **-Clothing/Armor-**

 **+Ragged Cloth (Red) – Qty: 119 – Rarity: Common**

 **-Price (Selling): (200 Yen)**

 **-Type: Cloak/Cape**

 **-Toughness: +1 END**

 **-Durability: 20/20**

* * *

Now, I'll just sell all of them. For a +1 boost to END, it's not worth anything.

Well, except for 200 Yen! That's like two whole dollars!

Now, the 'Money (Yen)' count at the top-left of the screen says that I have 35,500 Yen.

Woo!

Now, to go into the 'Store' and buy shit!

First, I'll get some some new threads. I like my current attire, sure, but if I'm gonna be fighting anything rough, I'll need to be rougher.

* * *

 **-Store-**

 **-Clothing/Armor-**

* * *

 **+Studded Leather Bracers (Black) – Rarity: Common**

 **-Price: (3,200 Yen)**

 **-Type: Gauntlet**

 **-Toughness: +8 END**

 **-Durability: 100/100**

* * *

 **+Leather Jacket (Black) – Rarity: Common**

 **-Price: (4,800 Yen)**

 **-Type: Coat**

 **-Toughness: +12 END**

 **-Durability: 140/140**

* * *

I'll just buy one of each. If anything, I can just switch into them when I feel the need to. I already tested it earlier and found that, if I use the 'Inventory Screen' to take off my clothes, they just kinda go 'poof!'.

Kinda neat, yet embarrassing at the same time.

Anyways, onto 'Weapons'. I also found out that I still had the Wooden Sword I used in the 'Tutorial'. I won't sell it, though, because that would at least give me something to practice with if I ever try to learn swordsmanship.

Besides, if things go **really** bad, then I can count on the +2 STR increase for something...

Something, being the key word of course...

So, anyways, on the 'Weapons' tab...

* * *

 **-Store-**

 **-Weapons-**

* * *

 **+Steel Knuckle – Rarity: Uncommon**

 **-Price (Selling): (5,000 Yen)**

 **-Type: Glove**

 **-Power: +15 STR**

 **-Durability: 300/300**

* * *

Yep, I'll just take one of those~!

And, last but certainly not least, 'Items'.

* * *

 **-Store-**

 **-Items-**

* * *

 **+Lesser Health Potion – Rarity: Uncommon**

 **-Price: (4,000 Yen)**

 **-Consumable**

 **-Effect: Heals up to 10% Max HP**

 **-Ingredient Quality: 1/10 (Horrible)**

* * *

Okay, so I still have 17,500 Yen...eh, I'll just take four. Healing items are always useful, no matter where you are in the game.

Having a hefty amount of 1,500 Yen left after a two minute shopping trip, I closed the screens before saying a silent prayer...

"[ID: Create – Dark Puppet's Temple]!"

And with the command issued, a bright flash engulfed the surroundings before I found myself...

...in the middle of one of the clearings I've been to over thirty times now, what the hell?

"Uhh...oka-...Oh...That's...uh...That guy's new." I intelligently deduced, seeing something coming out of the treeline on the opposite side of the clearing.

It looked like a Puppet...

...but a foot taller...

...with a two foot long wooden club.

Once the thing cleared the treeline, I noticed yet another difference between it, and the Puppets I was used to.

This thing could jog.

"[Observe]!" I yelled, starting to jog in a circle around this thing whilst giving it a wide girth. I suspected that I'd be introduced to new enemies sooner or later, and I knew that I'd need to find out what I could about them. This guy, despite being better that a Puppet, still seems like a 'mob monster'.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Soldier  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 2  
 **HP:** 60/60  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 10  
 **END:** 10  
 **AGI:** 10  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"God fucking dammit! This baddie is a heck of a lot better than those Puppets I've been fighting for the past four hours. Let's see what this guy's got!" I complained slightly, jogging in a circle while evaluating our similar-ish stats. I still hold a **huge** advantage, but after fighting 300 or more Puppets, I'd like to try fighting something else.

What can I say? 'One-shotting' everything goes about as well as in 'One-Punch Man'.

Especially if it's all copies of the same opponent that doesn't seem to possess even the smallest amount of sentient capabilities.

Stopping and turning, I allow the Puppet Soldier to get up close to me. Five feet away and slowing down, I saw it raising up it's right arm that was holding the club like it was gonna smash my head in. I started shifting to the right just before the club came down.

Man, I really got used to these guys being slow, because the club still caught me in my shoulder. I could feel a stinging sensation that seemed fairly realistic to what one would expect getting hit by a stick would feel like.

I retaliated, though, by thrusting my right hand into the thing's gut, causing it to stagger backwards and give me some breathing space.

Bringing up my 'Status Screen', I gave a quick glance to my health as I doubted this thing would give me all the time in the world to look at holographic screens.

* * *

 **-HP:** 128/140 (+11.0 HP/min)-

* * *

...not too awful bad.

Now, for a quick glance at the Puppet Soldier's...

* * *

 **-HP:** 41/60-

* * *

Okay, so that extra END isn't just for show. Good to know...

...and, by this time, the Puppet Soldier had recovered and was moving back towards me with his club raised to his left side. I'd wager he's going for a horizontal swing now.

Knowing that I'd have to push myself to move faster, I ducked down low, seeing the club clear the top of my head by at least a few inches. While crouching, I drew my left arm back before thrusting it upwards at the thing's chin, skimming its chest along the way.

With a 'cracking' sound, the Puppet Soldier was forced back again. This time, I decided to find out how long it would take for him to recover.

One...

Two...

And around the two and a half second mark, he was moving back towards me with his club raised over his head again. This time, being more prepared to move faster, I shifted to the left side...

...and my right foot got tripped up by my left. I tumbled to the ground in one of the most elegant of self-induced crashes anybody could have ever witnessed.

"Shit!" I groaned as I scrambled to get back on my feet an-"Ngh!"

I felt a stinging sensation on my back as I understood that the Puppet Soldier had most likely hit me pretty hard. Looking to my health on the screen in front of me, I winced.

* * *

- **HP:** 115/140 (+11.0 HP/min)-

* * *

Well, even though that didn't really do too awful much, I still got hit...so...

Get away.

Get away.

Get away.

"That stung a bit, asshole." I sighed, moving away from my new opponent with a newfound sense of annoyance. I went back to jogging while giving the thing some space, using this time to evaluate everything that it has done so far.

As I looked at the Puppet Soldier, I was treated to my [Observe] skill kicking in again.

* * *

 **-HP:** 25/60-

* * *

"Alright, so you're definitely an improvement over the Puppets. You're faster, tougher, stronger and don't take as long to wind up before the pitch. However, you still rely on simple-minded behavior. You just keep charging, and swinging. I tripped this last time, which I haven't done since the 'Tutorial'. So, that's the reason you were able to hit me earlier. If that had went as planned, I would have hit you again and gotten you down to critical health." I deduced, still jogging away from the Puppet Soldier.

Just like with the Puppets, and really any enemy, it's best to get to know them. To understand how strong they are and what they're most likely to do in most general situations. Especially with 'mob monsters'. Because sometimes, they can have really obscure and strange behavioral patterns that make it...excessively difficult to fight them.

"Okay, so I think I know how to do this. I just have to try and not fail when I dodge. After that, I can retaliate. Simple enough." I reasoned, turning around towards my enemy and getting ready to dodge whatever he threw at me.

And, sure enough, he just charged straight up to me and raised his club for a horizontal swing. I ducked once more, dodging his attack by a few inches, before I threw out another uppercut, this time with my right fist.

Clocking the thing in the chin, it stumbled backwards. However, this time, I didn't allow it to regain its footing, taking a large step forward while thrusting my left fist into its torso.

"Hwah!"

Then, like its fellow Puppets, it collapsed on the ground and evaporated into black smoke. However, unlike its fellow compatriots, this one left something on the ground...

* * *

 **+Wooden Club – Rarity: Common**

 **-Price (Selling): (300 Yen)**

 **-Type: Club**

 **-Power: +3 STR**

 **-Durability: 44/50**

* * *

"Meh..." I shrugged as I picked it up and put it in my 'Inventory'. No sense in leaving something like this here when I could possibly make use of it later, if nothing else but for the money.

Looking over to my right, I see a familiar pathway leading out of the clearing.

"Now, let's see where this takes us. I'm not going to want to take too many chances, so I think I'll just boost STR, END and AGI all to twenty. It's not a bad idea, all things considered. Not to mention that I won't be as overwhelmingly strong as I was against the ordinary Puppets. I'll try to be a little conservative with my points though. Never know when you might need to boost yourself up. Hehehe, DXD, hehehe, 'boost'..." I muttered, pushing buttons and twisting knobs on my 'Status Screen' in order to tweak my 'Stats', whilst also taking the chance to look at how much EXP I got for killing that Puppet Soldier.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 10  
 **EXP:** 12/258  
 **HP:** 120/140 (+12.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 140/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **END:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 12 (1+10+1)

 **Stat Points:** 15

* * *

"Hm, 12 EXP, huh? Easily better than Puppets." I noted, sighing slightly as I saw that the pathway I was walking on was leading to another of these clearings...

"So, I'm gonna guess that three of those Puppet Soldiers are gonna pop out this time?" I wagered, watching the treeline for anything suspicious for a few moments.

...

...

...

Well, they seem to be taking their sweet ass time, aren't they!?

Wait a sec, maybe this isn't exactly the same as the ones I came across before...

After all, I **am** in the 'Boss ID'. Maybe this place isn't so cut and dry.

Alright, well, I'll just continue on this path for now.

And so, I passed through the second clearing without any trouble. I entered a much more densely forested pathway that led out of it, which made me feel like I was leaving Kansas in the rear view and heading into some bizarre new world.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of rattling mixed with rustling leaves to my two o'clock!

Stepping backwards, I avoided a wooden hand swiping downwards at the place that I would've been at, had I kept walking forwards.

After a moment, a Puppet stumbled out from the foliage on the right side of the path. And that's not all! Down the path a ways, three more Puppets wandered into the path I was walking on.

Aha!

A trap!

"Well, I give you points for effort, at least." I said in a faux-placating voice before sprinting forward and throwing a single hard punch at each Puppet as I came up to them.

And, within seconds, four more Puppets bit the dust.

I continued on through the pathway, not running into any more Puppets along the way. I contemplated slightly on how it was strange that the 'ID' I was in was called the [Dark Puppet's Temple], though I wasn't in any kind of temple so far.

Maybe part of the reason this 'Campaign Quest' has such a time limit on it is that I'll actually have to journey around and find this 'temple'. That seems like an incredibly plausible reason, however this 'Quest' is also supposed to be really freaking easy.

Eventually, the enclosed pathway I was walking through started to descend into a downwards slope before turning right. However, as I followed the peculiarly sharp turn, I spotted a large opening in the treeline to the left a little ways ahead of me with light streaming into the pathway in copious amounts. I also noticed that the pathway continued it's downwards slope as it went onward for about another couple hundred feet before there was another sharp right.

Well, the best way to get an idea of your surroundings is to check shit out. Preferably from a high place.

And so, I walked over to where the opening is and gained an insight as to what kind of geographical location I had been in when I entered this 'ID'...

...I was on a plateau, in the middle of a huge fucking jungle with several other plateaus around the one I was on. Mine was the tallest though, so I got a good view of everything on the one side of the plateau I was on. There were three other plateaus situated around mine in a semi-circular shape. However, I saw something in the distance between the middle plateau and the plateau on the right that seemed pretty suspicious.

Let's think for a second about what a place like the [Dark Puppet's Temple] would look like, huh? What sort of landmarks and qualities would one look for when searching for such a place?

A large dark building coming out of the tree-line shaped kind of like a Mayan temple with a giant tree on top of it?

Check.

Excessive amounts of slightly purple-pink-ish fog surrounding the base of the building and a circular-shaped section of the forest around it?

Check.

A general feeling of ' **Nope!** '?

Check.

"I'mma take a pot shot, and say that **that's** where I'm supposed to go. Eh, looks like maybe two or three miles. Probably four or five if you take 'getting down from the plateau' into consideration. Who the hell came up with that word, anyway? Plateau. Is it Greek or something? It's gotta be. Or, you know, at least Latin. After all, English is Latin but with cuss words and 'customizable grammar'." I reasoned before focusing on one of the 'great mysteries of life'.

I went ahead and started continuing down the path in order to get down to the ground.

"Well, well, well...the 'Quest' has begun..."

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 10  
 **EXP:** 24/258  
 **HP:** 140/140 (+12.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 140/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **END:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 12 (1+10+1)

 **Stat Points:** 15

* * *

 **:::Author's Notes:::**

 **Why, hello peoples! I have officially kept my promise, even though I wanted to extend this chapter out to the 10K mark at the very least. However, I felt that if I wanted to do that, I'd be writing for another month or so.**

 **And so, we have started on the first 'Arc', of the story...though, I use the term 'Arc' very loosely. This will be an adventurous time for our young hero, but also a time when his so-called 'experience' with playing games will be put to the test.**

 **Once again, I thank you all for reading this chapter and hope you happy times and peaceful lives~!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Welcome to the Forest!

**Hello, and Welcome to the Jungle.**

 **No, I don't own that song, but it gets me pumped up.**

 **A more accurate depiction of the greeting I gave before, is welcome to Chapter 4.**

* * *

 **-Answering Reviews-**

 _ **Tsunashi777:**_ **Thanks for reading, and you're welcome. I feel like I can update often if I can get on a roll. As far as Kiba goes, there is a reason 'he' is a 'she' in this story. I don't have any plans to introduce a 'male Kiba' at this point in time, but it might be possible.**

 _ **Plasma Dragon 312:**_ **Thanks for reading. Hm, I would have to say that it depends on both perspective and time. Please keep in mind that he is still level 10. I will spoil just one thing. He has two and a half years until canon and in most RPG(s), a character's progression will speed up as they go further and further. He certainly won't be a pushover when canon arrives.**

 _ **Jack vile Ripper:**_ **Well...I'm glad to know that I 'surprised' somebody hahaha. You were actually the reason I didn't waste another day or two on stretching the last chapter out. I just kinda read what I had and was like, "No, this is good". Now, responding to requests is...hm, :) . By the way, thanks for reading!**

 _ **ARSLOTHES:**_ **Thanks for reading! Quite a few people are commenting to me about a harem and the pairings and whatnot. I hope that the selection I have planned for this story can find some appeal with the readers...**

 _ **RadioPoisoning:**_ **Well, first of all, thanks for reading. Now, I was considering putting some average human's stats in the last chapter to give a comparison, but then I kinda felt that, for Roland being the kind of guy he is, it wouldn't seem as important to find out the stats of other humans when faced with Devils. And, as far as Kiba and Akeno being 'too strong', I merely wish to direct your attention towards people like Rizevim and Loki. Imagine what 'their' stats will be like~! His decision to not put anything in INT will be explained in this chapter, so yeah. He's saving his stat points, though, so I hope that will convince you that he's not a total moron~...**

 _ **Kinunatzs The Eternal:**_ **Thanks for reading. You and** ** _RadioPoisoning_ seem to think alike, so I will simply ask for you to read the answer above for 'details'. As for how he progresses, thanks for the suggestion, but I already have him covered. As far as the 'trade LVL for Skills'-thing, I feel like it would make the [Game] too easy for people. Most developers of games tend to try and aim for creating new and unique challenges, or just cliche and overused challenges. I know there are people who curse my name at night for not giving Roland the clearance to become a god within two or three chapters, but I've never played an RPG with such insane shortcuts like that.**

 _ **Xbox432:**_ **Thank you, and thanks for reading! Yes, he will encounter them again before canon starts. As far as the power difference goes, I felt that they needed to be strong enough that 'regular' humans wouldn't stand a chance against them. That, and offer Roland some insight into how pathetically weak he is. As far as the 'minimum level requirement', I have also done that. However, Roland is not as stupid as his 1 point in INT would make people think. He's got a bit of experience at this~!**

 _ **Spice:**_ **Thank you for reading!**

 _ **FateBurn:**_ **Thank you, thank you, and thank you!**

 _ **Squadpunk 2.0:**_ **Not even considering the fact that it would've been a complete accident as well~...**

* * *

 **EDIT 5/22/17: I went back to make some slight tweaks to emphasize Douglas Roland's play-style as being 'skill-based' and not 'by the books'.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Why would I even want to own Highschool DXD anyway? The third season of the anime already exists, and nobody wants to have a fancy dinner where they serve their companion a big fat turd on the plate. No, I'm fine with some story ideas and a socially-awkward OC who considers a random cave more interesting than listening to Rias Gremory talk like a succubus.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech" = Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

 _"Disembodied Voices"_ = Schizophrenic stuff.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Welcome to the...Forest~!**

* * *

 **[ID: Dark Puppet's Temple]**

* * *

*SIGH*

"Fucking jerk. Makes people wait for seven fucking months due to 'planning and shit', then takes almost a month to do pretty much the same shit he did during those seven months. Seriously, our lives don't revolve around whether or not he wants to do his fucking job." I complained, tilting my head to the right hard enough for it to give a pleasant 'crack'.

Now, back to the plot.

I continued my trek down the...what the fuck are these called? They're like one-sided caves, almost as if someone or something carved pathways into the sides of the plateau. That's what I was walking through!

Anyways, considering how skinny this plateau is, it's almost like a spire or something of that effect. I certainly doubt that it's a natural landmass. Especially when you take into account of what's around it.

Yeah, remember those other plateau/spire-things that I said were on one side of the one I'm on? They're completely surrounding this one in a full circle. They were spaced out, of course, by about three hundred feet or so. As I was walking down the spiral pathway of the plateau I was on, I did a quick head count of them.

The tallest one in the center, which I'm on, and six shorter ones centered around the tallest. They were each covered in thick greenery, so I can't really make out a heck of a lot of details, but that's the situation.

So, yeah...I sincerely doubt that any of this is 'natural'. However, it's not as if my ability to simply warp into an area like this is 'natural' either, so I don't really think it's all that complicated to think about.

'Game logic', is not 'real logic'.

'Real logic', is not 'game logic'.

Must have taken a bloody fucking genius to figure that out, huh? *WINK*

Returning back to the stuff that matters, I continued my trek down the 'path', with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Seriously.

Nothing happened.

Well, until I came to the bottom, anyways.

Before me, sitting at the bottom of the plateau, was an arching gate about fifteen feet high with moss and mushrooms growing on it. Beyond the gate, was a pathway that led to the forest. Slightly above the trees, I could make out the temple in the distance due to the fog that surrounded it and the huge-ass tree sitting on top of it.

Stepping through the gate with no difficulty whatsoever, a red screen appeared before me...

* * *

 **-You are now leaving the Exit Point!-**

 **-[ID: Escape] is prohibited until Dungeon is Cleared!-**

 **-Do you wish to leave the Exit Point?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Clicking on the 'Yes' option, the screen shifted to another red screen...

* * *

 **-You have now left the Exit Point!-**

 **-To leave the Dungeon, you must complete the [Quest], then return to the Exit Point and use [ID: Escape]!-**

* * *

There was a 'check mark' button on the bottom of the screen. I pressed that and the screen went away...

And then, the sound of rustling leaves graced my ears...

I saw some things moving out of the tree-line on both sides of the pathway...

...three Puppet Soldiers...great...

One of them came out from the trees on the left, whilst the other two came from the right. The one on the left was slightly closer due to the gate being positioned at a slight angle in relation to the pathway.

I decided to do this proper, since fighting one gave me a little bit of trouble earlier. I've already learned that these guys were quite a bit better than regular Puppets, after all.

"[Observe]. [Observe]. [Observe]."

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Soldier  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 2  
 **HP:** 60/60  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 10  
 **END:** 10  
 **AGI:** 10  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Okay, here we go." I muttered as the three of them were jogging at me with the clubs raised proudly and 'flailing-ly'.

The left-most one reached me first, as per logic. I already started circling to the left before it even came within ten feet of me with it's club raised.

Which, of course, meant that it started correcting its course in a near instant...by angling its strike to the left.

So, I quickly switched my circling to the right whilst ducking slightly, evading the Puppet Soldier's swing and giving me the opening to-"Whah! Shasha! Chow!".

Punching it in it's stomach, then it's chest, before grabbing it's face and pulling it downwards whilst pulling my knee up, I delivered a combo to it that I had somewhat learned while I was grinding to get to LVL 10. It wasn't as easy with the Puppets, as I had to only hit them lightly or risk them dying too quickly.

Anyways, the Puppet Soldier didn't go down from that, so I circled back to the left of it to make sure that his buddies have an obstacle blocking their path. This gave me a small second to glance at the Puppet Soldier's health.

* * *

 **-HP:** 12/60-

* * *

Well, he's almost dead.

Having staggered back slightly due to being kneed in the face, the Soldier recovered after a second and started moving towards me with its club raised to the side. I also noticed his friends change their jogging direction when they were about fifteen feet away from us so that they would run up to the left and right sides of the one in front of me.

So, I guess their AI is also a bit better than the regular Puppets. They're not just gonna stumble up to their friends and then stop to turn. They'll just run directly towards where they're gonna end up.

Clenching my stomach, I ducked down in order to dodge the attack from the Puppet Soldier in front of me. However, it's club still skimmed on top of my head, leaving a slight sting in its wake.

I cocked my right fist behind my back as I then straightened myself back up. Thrusting my fist at its chin, I gave it a sick uppercut that caused it to fall to the ground and go all 'black smokey' on me.

One down, two to go...

The other two were upon me within three seconds. The one on the right had its club raised for a downwards swing, whilst the one on the left had its club hanging to its side for a horizontal swing.

I waited until they were almost on top of me before strafing to the left as fast as I could. I figured that if I timed it right, I could get them to hit each other...

...and I was right.

Well, half right.

The one on the left swung at me, though I raised both arms to block it. There was a slight sting on my forearms, but I doubted that I took a hell of a lot of damage. The one on the right, though, had swung down at where it thought I would be and ended up clocking the other one in the head with its club.

I didn't really want to stop and check how much damage that did, though. After all, I had a chance to inflict damage on the one that was formerly on my left.

"One, two, three, four!" I grunted as I punched the Soldier in front of me with four rapid punches in the chest. Crumpling to the ground, it vanished like its ally. That leaves onl-"Uhn! Back! The! Fuck! Up! Bitch!"...

...one of my brighter ideas...

...rush forward and punch 'em a lot!

So, after having been hit once on the shoulder by the last Soldier's club, I gave it five good punches to the chest. With that, the last Soldier of the group fell to the ground gracefully before disintegrating.

And so, having finished my fight with those three Soldiers, I went ahead and started heading down the pathway into the jungle...

...except...

"I never really thought about it before, but the fact that the Puppet Soldiers drop their weapons in here is kind of...I mean, the Puppets never actually 'dropped' anything on the ground. So, why are these things getting dropped now?" I asked myself as I knelt down and collected the three Wooden Clubs that were on the ground.

Putting them into my 'Inventory', I just shrugged and continued on.

Maybe it's dropping because I'm in the 'Boss ID'? You know, since I can't really get out, they have their guys drop their weapons and such just in case I need a boost?

It seems kind of...weird that they would just do that, and only for the 'Boss ID'.

Huh, maybe it only works with weapons?

Mm...but, that still seems kind of weird.

Well, it doesn't really matter at the moment. If anything, I can just sell these later on.

Anyways, the pathway that I was walking down was somewhat wide. I'd say about twelve feet from tree line to tree line. More than enough space for surprise fights to break out...

...

Anyways, the density of the tree line and fauna on the sides of the pathway was also somewhat commendable. You can barely see even a dozen feet into the jungle before the greenery got too thick.

Well, even if I'm surprised, I doubt that there's anything near me that can one-shot me. Besides, I'm curious as to how much damage I had taken in that battle...

So, pulling up my 'Status Screen', I continued walking absentmindedly while I checked it over.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 10  
 **EXP:** 60/258  
 **HP:** 127/140 (+12.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 128/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **END:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 12 (1+10+1)

 **Stat Points:** 15

* * *

"Okay, so my extra END paid off a little. But, why did I get hit so much? I'm at 20 AGI, and they're at 10, so why are they able to hit me like I'm...standing...still?" I questioned as I walked, confused as to why the attacks of the Puppet Soldiers have been hitting me so often. I mean, granted, they're faster than Puppets, but I should be faster than they are...

"I mean, not like I'm a genius at fighting, but it seems like something more is going on than just me being used to the slow movements of the Puppets..." I sighed, closing my 'Status Screen' and opening up the 'Help Screen'.

Time for a little resear-"The fuck is **this**?"

Cutting off my plans of doing some research, I stumbled on another pathway on the left. Well, I say 'pathway', but it only went on for about ten feet before being blocked off by a huge violet-colored force field.

Why the fuck would something like that be in the jungle?

Walking up to the violet barrier, I saw that it was a little bit see-through. On the other side, it seemed like the same kind of pathway I was walking down, though...I could also see that the pathway started to curve into the distance.

Hell, if I were to hazard a blind guess, I'd say that the pathway would lead to one of the spires that was surrounding the one I started out on.

Out of curiosity, I put the palm of my hand on the force field, gaining a similarly colored violet screen appearing in front of me.

* * *

 **-Must be Level 80 in order to enter!-  
** **-[Quest] location!-**

* * *

And, not five seconds later, a blinking orange screen took it's place.

* * *

 **-Quest Alert!-**

 **Quest Title:** The Dark Puppeteer!

 **Quest Details:  
** -You have found a force field inside the [Dark Puppet's Temple]! However, you're not strong enough to enter it yet. What mysterious secrets are beyond this barrier, and who is the 'Dark Puppeteer'?

 **(Quest Note – To turn off 'Quest Notes', go to Options):** This is an optional [Quest] that you are not ready for. However, this [Quest] shall always be available for you to 'Accept' once you reach the 'Minimum LVL Requirement'.

 **Difficulty Level:** '7' (Harder than Chinese Algebra)

 **Objectives:  
** -'?'  
-Defeat '?'

 **(Optional)  
** -'?'  
-'?'

 **Time Limit:** N/A

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -+7 HP Bonus  
-+7 MP Bonus  
-700,000,000 Yen  
-[Title]: [?]  
-1x '?'  
-1x '?'  
-1x '?'

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Death

 **Accept?  
** **(((You cannot accept this [Quest] yet.)))**

* * *

"Yeah, fuck that." I responded, promptly dismissing the screen and choosing to instead get back to walking on the pathway towards my [Quest]...

...that is, until about 200 feet down the road from the barrier, I came to a four way intersection with two of the same violet force fields covering each pathway to my sides. I did a quick check on each of them, and found that they were part of the same [Quest] that I had just seen...

...except, the barrier on my right seemed to not allow entry from this side, and the barrier on my left seemed to only allow entry if you've completed everything to the right...

Considering the layout of the land, the pathway for this [Quest] seems to circle around to the different spires jutting out of the ground. The path starts at the first barrier I was at, circles around, comes out at the pathway to the right, before you finish off by going through the pathway on the left.

Anyways, now that I've solved that little conundrum, I continue onward whilst pulling my 'Help Screen' back up.

* * *

 _ **-Please type either keywords or a question pertaining to the [Gamer] system-  
**_ _-Why do my physical stats not seem to influence my physical abilities?-_

* * *

Pressing the 'enter' key on the keyboard, the search results came back up in the same style format as when I performed my first few searches.

 **(((Note: I will be summarizing this one afterwards, so if you don't want to read it, then feel free to skip.)))**

* * *

 _ **-Version x1.0: This [Game] introduces a feature referred to as the [Effort Gauge]. This concept became realized due to potential problems related to [Gamers] not trying very hard to play the [Game].**_

 _ **Instead of relying solely on the [Gamer]'s 'Stats' to determine their abilities, the amount of effort a [Gamer] exerts will play a key factor in how they can utilize their 'Stats' to enhance their abilities.**_

 _ **For instance, if a [Gamer] punched an enemy, the amount of effort the [Gamer] puts into the punch will determine how much of their STR 'Stat' is applied.**_

 _ **According to the [Architect]: "The [Effort Gauge] was introduced as a way to make sure that, no matter how high your 'Stats' get, you still have to put in effort in order to play the [Game] properly. For the more 'combat oriented' lifestyles, this system also offers another advantage in that the [Gamer] won't simply kill anything they touch due to the system not recognizing whether or not they're putting any effort into what they're doing." (Click for details)-**_

* * *

"Okay, so the [Effort Gauge] is basically another feature introduced to make the [Game] more realistic and rewarding to play. Which, for me at least, means that it's not enough to simply have a higher AGI 'Stat' than the Puppet Soldiers in order to dodge their attacks. I actually have to push myself to do it..." I mumbled as I continued walking.

Hm, it's a good thing that the Puppets only come out from the plant life. It makes a hell of an alarm sound~!

Stopping my movement and closing my 'Help Screen', I saw four more Puppet Soldiers come jogging out of the tree lines on both sides of me.

I glanced to each side to see them getting closer. Each side had one Soldier getting ready for a downwards swing and the other ready for a horizontal swing. Bending my knees to just shy of a 90 degree angle, I waited until they were about five feet away before bending backwards and kicking off the ground.

Okay, so I may not be a very gymnastic person, as evidenced by the fact that I was sent tumbling over the ground and onto my stomach due to my own actions, but it was worth it!

I heard three *thunks* and a *snap*, indicating that the Puppet Soldiers performed quite a bit of 'friendly fire'. Getting my knees underneath me, I quickly pushed myself up off the ground. I looked up to see two of the Soldiers were almost on me, with both going for a horizontal swipe.

Clenching my stomach muscles again, I knew that I'd need to put some genuine [Effort] into this until I got good at dodging shit. Bending my knees, I **whipped** my torso downwards to dodge their attacks.

...

...and it worked, too.

Unlike the other times, this time I actually dodged their attacks entirely. Though, I'm not one to waste these opportunities. Snapping my torso straight-up again, I threw two punches at the same time, connected with the left's stomach and the right's shoulder.

Now, before I forget...

I used [Observe] on the both of them, starting with the left.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Soldier  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 2  
 **HP:** 35/60  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 10  
 **END:** 10  
 **AGI:** 10  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Soldier  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 2  
 **HP:** 38/60  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 10  
 **END:** 10  
 **AGI:** 10  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

 **-Magic: [Observe] has increased by 1 level!-  
** **-[Observe] – LVL: 12 – EXP: 5/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP-

* * *

Oh, hey! Look at that handy dandy blue screen that tells me something I don't really **CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW**!

Paying as little attention to the clusterfuck of blue screens in front of me, I alternated throwing hard punches at the two Puppet Soldiers directly in front of me. They staggered a little with each blow, which allowed me to take them out in three more hits each.

As they crumpled to the ground, dropping their Wooden Clubs in the process, I saw the other two Soldiers circling around the soon-to-be-gone corpses. They were coming up on my left and right sides simultaneously. I knew that this wasn't a good kind of position for me to be in, so I started back-stepping as fast as I could, trying to keep them both in front of me.

Well, with these two here, I can get a little practice in dodging. I'll just wear them down enough to where I can kill them in a single hit before that, though.

I don't want to die, after all...

* * *

 **1 Hour Later**

"...Buh. Da Buh. Da Buh. Da Buh. Da Buh." I rhythmically chimed as I ducked and weaved out of the way of the two weakened Puppet Soldiers' attacks.

Yep, as I figured, these guys only have two different attacks. Vertical and horizontal swings of their clubs.

Other than that, I started to understand what it means to put quite a bit of 'oomph' in my movements. All those guys in anime and manga and shit that make it look like the easiest thing in the world are lying. And now I can truly appreciate how good I was doing without seriously trying...

With the Puppets, I only got hit four times. Two of those was when I tried to find out if I can block their attacks. The other two were in one of the later areas of the [Puppet ID] when I had to fight 23 of them at once. They got a few lucky shots in, but I only took like five points of damage.

These guys are a bit more challenging in that they don't move anywhere near as slow. I've gotten hit about sixteen times since training started. However, before that, I think I got hit around five or six times.

But, as I get increasingly used to putting effort into my movements, their attacks seem to be missing more and more. It feels more like fast-paced dancing than anything else...

Which is why, starting about fifteen minutes after all of us began my training, I starting making rhythmic sounds to try and see if I could pick up on a trick to dodging more efficiently.

Though, this method probably won't work for any kind of intelligent opponent, against these guys that have a set pattern it seems to be an almost surefire way to know when they are about to attack.

That's probably the reason I haven't even been hit in the last ten minutes or so...

"Alrighty boys, thanks for the help~!" I politely said before dodging one last vertical swipe from the Puppet Soldier on my right before slamming my right fist into its abdomen while simultaneously bringing my left leg up to lightly kick the other Soldier who was on my left in the shin. This stopped him from attacking for a moment, which I took advantage of by planting my left foot back on the ground and swinging my left arm in a chopping motion, catching it in the chest.

Both Puppet Soldiers crumbled, leaving the pathway open for me to walk once again.

And walk I did...after picking up all of the Wooden Clubs the entire group dropped.

* * *

 **15 Minutes Later**

"Wham! Cha!" I shouted as the small group of five Puppets that had ambushed me in a sharp bend in the pathway had been dispatched cleanly and efficiently.

I sighed slightly as I inspected the area around me. The path in the direction I came from to my left seemed to bend into something resembling a 'U'-shape before it continued on to my right, curving towards the right in the distance and seeming to lead into the land of mystery...

I betcha anything there's gonna be trees, dirt, grass and plants in that 'land of mystery'.

There! Not so 'mysterious' anymore, is it!?

Over the course of the last fifteen minutes, I had opened up my 'Help Screen' and looked for information about [Observe] and [ID: Create] on the grounds that I had a 'fleeting curiosity'.

In my defense, everyone has those moments.

Anyways, you know how my INT is supposed to govern how fast my 'Skills' and 'Magic' gain EXP? Yeah, well, these two abilities are 'exempt' from that rule. It says that it's on the grounds that they're given to you at the very start of the [Game] and that they're basically the 'bread and butter' of [Gamers].

In other words, without possessing any other 'Skills' or 'Magic' that can gain EXP, INT is pretty much useless to me at the moment. Not to say that it won't possess significant importance later on, but I think I made the right choice by not dumping any points into it.

Same goes for MAG, too. Once I get the 'Tokens' for completing this [Quest], I can buy a 'Skill' and 'Magic' that can help me out. At that point, MAG and INT will probably become important. However, for right now, it would be best to not get too hasty.

I can only imagine some poor [Gamers] out there, prematurely dumping their points into 'Stats' that won't do anything to help them. Then, they'll face some kind of enemy or whatnot, and be completely helpless...

...all because they may think, "Oh, if I have massive INT, I can come up with a solution!".

...or, you could use 'common sense', think about the situation a bit, and save your points for something else?

Seriously, for a guy that has only a single point of INT, I'm fairly certain that I'm **not** the stupidest being in existence.

Besides, I hardly think there are many enemies out there that you can put down with nothing but INT.

STR fucks them right up, though!

But, just before I was ambushed by Puppets, I was contemplating on another aspect of the [Game] that I found rather annoying. I felt like I had **way too much** information popping up on my 'Status Screen' and any 'Observed Screens' that come out in front of me in the middle of a fight.

Thus, I looked through my 'Options Screen' for the first time since I became a [Gamer] over like five or six hours ago.

With a white screen popping up in front of me, I set about personalizing my [Gaming Experience]...

...if that's even a thing...

* * *

 **-Options-**

 **(Choose an Option for more Details)**

 **+HUD  
** **+Gameplay  
** **+Video  
** **+Audio  
** **+Notifications  
** **+Gamer Menu**

* * *

"Well, let's get started..." I muttered, pressing on the 'HUD' option and seeing what all I could do...

* * *

 **-HUD Options-**

 **+HUD:** Disabled  
 **+HUD Position:** N/A

 **-HUD Display-  
** **+LVL:** N/A  
 **+HP:** N/A  
 **+MP:** N/A  
 **+EXP:** N/A  
 **+Stats:** N/A  
 **+Clothing/Armor:** N/A  
 **+Weapon:** N/A

* * *

"Alrighty, we're gonna mess around a bit..." I said, fucking around with the settings until they looked something like...

* * *

 **-HUD Options-  
** **+HUD: Enabled  
** **+HUD Position:** (Custom) Upper-Left

 **-HUD Display-  
** **+LVL:** Disabled  
 **+HP: Enabled  
** **+MP: Enabled  
** **+EXP: Enabled  
** **+Stats:** Disabled  
 **+Clothing/Armor:** Disabled  
 **+Weapon:** Disabled

* * *

And, now I have a floating blue screen about the size of your average cell phone sitting in the upper-left corner of my vision. I can view it comfortably at any moment, whilst not moving my vision away from in front of me by too wide of a margin.

In other words, it was perfect for me.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP:** 123/258-  
 **-HP:** 140/140 (+11.0 HP/minute)-  
 **-MP:** 118/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

Nice.

Now, onto the other ones...

* * *

 **10 Minutes Later**

Hoo! I'm finished!

I think I fixed my problems! So...yay~!

I stayed away from the 'Video' and 'Audio' settings, as that's almost a surefire way to fuck yourself over.

In the 'Gameplay' settings, I really only tweaked the 'Auto-Loot' function. That setting was the reason that I didn't pick up the weapons of the beaten Puppet Soldiers instantly. It's description basically says that it will automatically collect the specified kinds of loot that you tell it to, and give them to you when you re-enter the 'real world'.

I can't imagine much of a logical reason for not doing it with 'Weapons', though. Unless the 'Inventory' isn't infinite. But, it wouldn't be picking up most loot automatically if that were the case.

I shrugged before turning it on to just collect everything. I doubt that I'd really need to have immediate access to each individual piece of loot I get. Especially in the first dungeon.

In 'Notifications', I set it up so that any 'pop-up screen' for any kind of 'level up' and whatnot to be posted after the battle was over. I, however, kept the 'HP Critical Notification' settings as is, which is to warn me when my HP gets below 25%.

While they may contain unneeded information, I decided against altering the 'Observe Screens' for now, simply because I feel like I would just change it back to how it is now in the future for sure. Sometimes, it's just good to have all that extra info on hand.

Then, I got to my own personal 'Status Screen' in the 'Gamer Menu' section.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 10  
 **EXP** : 123/258  
 **HP:** 140/140 (+12.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 140/140 (+10.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **END:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 12 (1+10+1)

 **Stat Points:** 15

* * *

I mostly just got rid of some of the more useless parts, like my 'Age', 'Birthday', and 'Race'. I already know those things, so I don't need to be reminded of it every time I look at my 'Status Screen'.

And, with that, I think I've personalized my settings enough that it won't annoy me anymore!

Also, I started walking again...

* * *

 **1 Hour Later**

...

...

...

Am I there yet~?

Glancing upwards through the trees in the general direction of the temple, I sighed when I saw that one tree standing above the rest...about three miles away. At least, that's what it looked like to me.

"Nope. Not even close..."

Hah, between Puppets and Puppet Soldiers popping out of the trees like ants every fifteen minutes, this is taking for-fucking-ever!

I had walked down to another bend in the road, that curved me **way** to the right, seemingly putting me on course to get to the temple before nightfall, but...

...well, it's as you can guess...

...the fucking ants, man. They keep fucking popping out in two's and three's. Between that, and surfing the 'Help Screen' on various topics, I get the feeling that it's gonna end up being night-time soon...

...

...hold the phone...

...the fuck!?

"Where's the fucking Sun!?" I yelled, not seeing a familiar enemy to all [Gamers] flying high in the sky like it fucking owns the place. However, glancing upwards, I found that there wasn't really a 'light source' to be found.

Everything was just...lit.

It's just as sunny as when I first got here!

...

...time for more 'Help Screen'.

* * *

 _ **-Please type either keywords or a question pertaining to the [Gamer] system-  
**_ _-Why is there no Sun in the [Dark Puppet's Temple]?-_

* * *

 _ **-Version x1.1: In order to solve severe issues with lighting a realistic 3D open-world [ID] within the [Game], the [Architect] removed any notion of [Suns] or [Stars] and instead created an 'omnipresent light' that will light every area equally. However, the 'shadow effect' has been altered so that all shadows point towards the ground, giving an immediate impression that the lighting is coming from an 'over-head source'. (Click for details)-**_

* * *

Ahh...so, the [Architect] fucked up with some basic programming and decided 'screw it' and just took a cheap shortcut, huh?

That's cool...

...

...

...Shit.

Fuck.

Ass.

Dammit.

I can't believe I'm **this** freaking stupid!

I just realized something. The reason why it's taking so fucking long to get to the temple...

I don't get tired or fatigued...yet, I'm fucking **walking**.

"Fuck this. I'll take the damn risk. I ain't fucking walking anymore. God, how could I have been this fucking stupid!?" I groaned as I closed the 'Help Screen' and started at a decent run down the path I was on.

Seriously, I could feel my freaking blood boiling along with a heavy weight in my stomach from how freaking embarrassed and frustrated I am! I spent this much fucking time on taking a 'Sunday stroll' through the goddamn jungle when I could've probably beaten this [Quest] by now if I had thought to 'run' instead of 'walk'!

Maybe now I'll fucking get somewhere, huh!?

* * *

 **1 Hour Later**

After going through **the** most round-about fucking pathway to ever exist, along with frantically beating the shit out of 40 Puppets and 31 Puppet Soldiers due to still being frustrated over my own personal 'fuck-up', I finally came up to the giant wall of purple-pink mist that I saw from on top of the spire.

I was also stupid to refer to those things as 'plateaus'. I was stupid for just fucking going along with the flow. I was stupid for not fucking taking this seriously.

 **Am** I a fucking retard!?

I almost got 'one-shotted' by fucking pre-canon Kiba! And it was on accident!

I understood that, I know I did. But, with all of these 'mistakes' that I'm **just now** noticing, I probably wasn't able to connect the dots and actually **do** something about it. Thus, it just slipped my mind that I'm about as fragile and stupid as a damn baby, **I GUESS!**

Seriously, how could I be **this** stupid!?

Hearing rattling sounds coming from behind me, I saw three more Puppet Soldiers come out of the tree-line before jogging at me with their clubs raised.

Using [Observe] on all three of them, I gritted my teeth before running towards them with my arms cocked back.

Getting up close, the one in the middle swung down at me, but I was already moving to the side. I dodged its attack cleanly before slowing down to counter-attack. I gave its stomach the good old 'one-two' treatment. It staggered backwards slightly, but I wasn't gonna be easy on these guys anymore. I wasted a lot of time giving them breathers when they would **not** have done the same for me.

Wrapping my arms around its waist, I picked it up and carried it back a few meters in order to get some distance from its friends.

Once I had done that, I let go of its waist and punched it two more times whilst it was busy raising its Wooden Club to the side for a horizontal swipe. The Puppet Soldier stopped and crumpled to the ground, evaporating into mist, its weapon disappearing with it.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 147/383-  
 **-HP:** 158/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)-  
- **MP:** 146/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

Planting my feet in the ground, I stopped the small amount of leftover momentum I had from pushing the Puppet Soldier back. I could hear the little 'pit pat' noises behind me coming closer, so I quickly turned around and swung my right arm out, catching one of the Puppet Soldiers coming towards me in the rib-cage.

This caused it to stagger back, but his buddy who was beside him wasn't affected. Stepping to the left and ducking, I avoided the buddy's downward swing. I then charged at the one I had already hit and punched him two more times before he could recover completely.

At that point, I took another step to the left in order to get a visual on the one I had dodged earlier. It was almost on top of us, with its club raised to the side.

I chose to wait before dodging, causing it to hit its buddy instead, who was also in the midst of raising its club for its own attack.

That last hit caused the Puppet Soldier I had attacked to crumple to the ground. Rushing forward a few steps before ducking to the right, I dodged the last Puppet Soldiers final attack before pummeling it like its friends.

And, like that, the battle ended. I was mentally keeping track during that little fight, and managed to tell that it took about 11 seconds total from when they came out of the tree line.

And, unlike before my training session, I hadn't taken a single point of damage.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 161/383-  
 **-HP:** 160/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)-  
- **MP:** 147/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

Well, now that I'm done fighting, I can turn my attention back to the purple-pink mist wall that covers the path in front of me.

It certainly doesn't look like 'normal' mist, that's for sure.

Hm...I wonder if it gives off any kinds of 'status effects', like it sometimes does in games?

"I don't know if this will do anything. [Observe]." I used my now familiar ability whilst looking at the mist.

* * *

 **-Non-Observable-**

* * *

"Well, waste my time and MP, why don'tcha." I sighed before shrugging and stepping cautiously into the mist.

It can't be that bad, can it? After all, this is the first dungeon. I doubt that they would make anything **too** unfair happen...

After walking into the mist for a while, I deduced that there wasn't going to be any negative effects occurring due to this.

And so, I set off running again.

Like I said, I am **not** gonna fucking walk in here unless I have to!

However, after a minute or so of running, I hear the sound of running water. Almost like a really big river...

Disregarding the fact that all the area around me is dyed lightly in a purple-pink color due to the mist, I was able to make out what looked like a downwards slope in the pathway about 30 meters ahead of me.

Running down the slope, slowing down slightly just in case, I saw that the pathway took a sharp right...next to an obvious cliff.

I slowed down to a walk, coming up to the cliff and peering over...

...

...oh...fuck me!

It's about a 200 meter drop into something resembling a moat combined with a high-speed river. The cliff face was sheer and almost clean-cut, meaning that if you fall you most likely can't even crawl your way out without proper gear.

If you survived in the first place...

...seriously, no telling if there are sharp rocks or not under there. Despite the fast moving water, I've seen enough games to know that you can program weird geological phenomena into the stupidest and most illogical places.

However, about 50 meters down and slightly to the right, I saw what looked like a rather well kept wooden rope bridge going from this side of the gap to somewhere further...into...the mist...

...'staring'...'staring'...'staring'...

"Looks like a heavily fortified fortress. And by that, I mean it looks like a troop of idiots decided to make camp at the other end of the bridge, but with wooden buildings instead of tents." I commented, manually observing the small congregation of wooden houses. I couldn't really see anything smaller than them, considering they're about 100 meters away from me, it's still misty and they're more like 'huts' than 'houses'.

Shrugging, I turned to the right and noted that there seemed to be stairs made from mashed-up stone leading downwards through a kind of opening in the cliff face, with a couple of support columns on the open side of the walkway that were also made of stone. This is kind of similar to the spire I went down...a couple of hours ago.

Sheesh, this is taking a while!

Anyways, I started jogging slightly down the steps since they were set up in a kind of 'gentle slope'. I noticed that the pathway was angled into the cliff face, meaning you get deeper into the cliff the further you go down. After going forward about 20 meters, the path did a 'U-turn' to the left. I slowed down slightly to follow it around.

However, as I was about to speed up...

*FWIP* *CHICKA*

"Holy shit!" I yelped, startled by some foot long 'thing' that just flew in front of me by about a meter before hitting the stone support column just to my front-left. I looked over and saw an arrow made completely out of wood fall to the ground after failing to penetrate into the column. The head of it was a sharp flat bulge.

I immediately ran up to the nearest pillar on my right before taking cover behind it. After a few seconds, another arrow flew by in front of me, though this time it was about two meters away, and hit a column before falling to the ground.

After that, it was about five seconds to the next arrow, and then another two seconds to another arrow.

Whoever was firing didn't have the best aim, though. Since their shots were hitting all around me, even hitting some of the other floors. I could tell they hit there, due to the soft 'snap' sounds of wood hitting rock.

I tried looking across the way when I could, but I couldn't really see anything and [Observe] couldn't pick anything up.

I guess **this** is the reason for the fog, then.

Ah well, I'm not particularly concerned with this. I'll just run when the coast is clear, and hide when it isn't.

And so, using that strategy, I managed to get down two more floors to this little 'cliff-side cavern thing-y' I was in. I was now about five feet away from the bridge and understood immediately what I was expected to do.

I have to run across this bridge, **towards** incoming fire, in a straight line, with no cover.

Wait for the two-second arrow to pass...Now!

"Let's fucking do this!" I yelled as I dashed out from behind cover and started running like a madman over the bridge, noting absentmindedly that it didn't rock or sway that much like rope bridges usually do.

Within seconds, though, I could **feel** an arrow whiz by my head. Then, another nearly grazed my hip. Then, a third zipped between my legs. The fourth nearly stabbed into my right arm.

Luckily, I had another four seconds until the last one hit and I was only about ten feet to the end of the bridge. I could see that it was a pair of shorter Puppets using wooden bows to shoot at me, but I'll deal with them shortly.

Almost there.

Almost there.

Almos-"GAWD FUK ITOLL!" I screamed as I **forcibly** took an arrow...

...

...

...

...

...

...to the...

...

...

...knee.

"OH HELL NAW! I'M NOT A FUCKING MEME, AND I REFUSE TO GET TREATED LIKE ONE! I'MA TURN YOU FUCKTARDS INTO MATCHSTICKS! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR WOOD-NUTS AND TEAR OFF YOUR HANDS, TIE THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE A FUCKING PADDLE BALL!"

I felt a searing pain shoot all through my leg, though mostly focused on the knee area, after about a millisecond or so. I screamed bloody murder at the two Puppet Archer-things that shot me as I got off the bridge and pulled the arrow out of my knee. Already, there was a familiar dark red liquid soaking a huge splotch into my jeans, covering most of my calf. Soon after, I could even feel it starting to seep into my socks and shoes...'blegh'...

I glanced up to look at my HUD, though.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 161/383-  
 **-HP:** 140/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)-  
- **MP:** 145/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

"[OBSERVE]! [OBSERVE]!" I yelled, already running for them as I felt pain surging from my knee with every step, though I could also feel that, for the first time since becoming a [Gamer], my body began pumping adrenaline to combat the pain.

And the adrenaline...

...it felt **GOOD**...

A pair of blue screens popped up in front of me as I ran/limped towards the Puppet Archer-things that were loading another arrow into each of their bows.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Archer  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 3  
 **HP:** 40/40  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 15  
 **END:** 5  
 **AGI:** 15  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Aw, so you two 'wittle archer wannabes' are **fragile**?! GOOD TO KNOW!" I mocked as I finally got within range to rip them apart.

Reaching out and grabbing a hold of the shafts of their arrows just before they released them from the bows, the arrows never moved...until I took them and used them as 'schtabby schtabby' instruments against the Puppet Archers.

"FUCK! YOU! FUCK! YOU! FUCK! YOU!"

Using my patented 'over-headed stabbing methods' on them, it only took two stabs each for them to fall. As they crumpled to the ground, I quickly gave them an extra stab each just to solidify their position in my eyes.

Once they were gone, the arrows in my hand also disappeared, probably meaning that 'Auto-Loot' picked them up along with the bows.

"Fuck them. Fuck them and whatever demon hell-spawn children they have." I spit on the place where their damned bodies once stood.

Hearing a cluttering sound coming near me, I swung my arm out and managed to catch another Puppet Soldier in the torso as he tried attacking me from behind.

I noticed at that point, that there were about ten Puppet Soldiers in the small congregation of huts around me.

Should've known that this place would've had more than two guys in it...

...which I did know, but those two assholes decided to turn me into an over-used meme.

"I'm in a real peachy fucking mood here boys, so I'ma beat the shit out of ya, just a bit, yeah?" I spoke in some weird mix of Scottish and...I think, Norwegian accents?

I don't fucking know.

Skip to ass-kicking...

...[Command Acknowledged. Skipping Ass-kicking...].

"Fus Ro-Fuck You!" I yelled as I kicked the last Puppet Soldier from the, now ass-kicked, group off the edge of the cliff, taking significant pleasure in seeing it rag-doll towards the raging rapids.

Glancing upwards at my HUD, I just sighed pleasantly...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 299/383-  
 **-HP:** 149/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)-  
- **MP:** 87/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 311/383-  
 **-HP:** 150/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)-  
- **MP:** 88/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

"Well, after gaining another level for [Observe], now making it 16, and recreating a famous historical massacre with Puppets, let's move on...though, can I open these?" I asked out loud as I moved towards the small door to one of the wooden huts. Grabbing onto the door, I give a push and a tug, but it didn't budge at all.

Moving to all of the others, I found that they also couldn't be opened up.

"Well, fuck them. I've got a temple to go to-ho...lee...shite." I muttered as I directed my attention away from them and upwards, finding myself staring at a large series of stairs all pointing towards one direction...

...the Temple...

...Finally, my time has arrived...

...I can finally finish this first [Quest]...

...The world...

...Shall know my name and...

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 12, 2014 **(Canon Start: 972 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 12  
 **EXP** : 211/383  
 **HP:** 160/160 (+14.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 160/160 (+12.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **END:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 20 (20+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 14 (1+12+1)

 **Stat Points:** 27

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, well, well...here's the next chapter of this story! By no means, should this be taken as a sign that I'll update on a weekly basis, however. This chapter, in and of itself, was rather hard to write simply due to poor planning.**

 **I originally intended to have Roland start to go through the Temple by the end of this chapter, but in the end, I decided that a 'slower, more fleshed out' approach would give Roland a proper push to start taking this [Gamer] thing seriously.**

 **Because, above all, Roland is a _human_. And humans make mistakes. Sometimes, even some of the stupidest mistakes. However, it's a good thing he noticed what mistakes he was making in the middle of Chapter 4, and not say...Chapter 40 or so?**

 **I will say that I plan to finish off the [Dark Puppet's Temple] in the next chapter, though. It was only supposed to take two chapters to start with (barring the end of Chapter 3 because that was just introducing the LVL 2 'Mob Monster'), but again, the decision was made whilst writing this chapter to flesh it out to three.**

 **So, if people read this chapter thoroughly...maybe they can stop pestering me about the whole "INCREASE INT! INCREASE INT! INCREASE INT!"...**

 **I had already planned for [Observe] and [ID: Create] to work on a 'fixed EXP gain'. They're simply too vital of abilities for a [Gamer] to put strict limitations on. However, Roland was a 'little' stupid for not being 'super efficient' with his abilities.**

 **He'll fix that...sooner or later.**

 **So, in short, I'm hearing the complaints, but I've already planned out that part of the story. I'm confident in my overall plot-line too.**

 **However, if you have complaints, go ahead and put them in a Review or a PM. I'll definitely 'read' them out~!**

 **As always, Thanks for Reading!**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Dark Puppet's Temple!

**Wow. I knew I'd be receiving a bit of scrutiny for Chapter 4, which I even had trouble writing due to it being so boring, but that was...wow.**

 **I'll go ahead and say, that Chapter 4 is a one-of-a-kind chapter, that's filled to the brim with inane and boring game mechanic explanations. I decided to stop at the entrance to the temple, due to the fact that it would've soured the first dungeon's fun almost entirely if I had written it that way.**

 **So, in short, Chapter 4 was a sacrificial chapter, that wasn't very fun to write or to read. However, I put a lot more effort into this chapter to try and show that this story will be much more interesting than me giving explanations of game mechanics to all of you.**

 **However, I was also pleasantly surprised that I kept getting notifications about people following and liking my story. Or even me, myself! I have to say that it is truly touching, you guys. Especially since I know that the story is kind of sub-par for a Gamer fic, at least at this point.**

 **So, thanks for bearing with me up until this point, and here's your reward!**

 **...**

 **...right after THESE MESSAGES!**

* * *

 **EDIT 5/22/17: I went back to make some slight tweaks to emphasize Douglas Roland's play-style as being 'skill-based' and not 'by the books'.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Why would I even want to own Highschool DXD anyway? There isn't even a genuine picture of Yasaka, and she is supposed to be a pretty important person. No, I'm fine with some story ideas and a socially-awkward OC who dislikes the taste of spinach.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech" = Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Word-Word-Word-Word" = Repeated Sounds

{Blah blah blah blah} = Chanting

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – The Dark Puppet's Temple, For Real This Time!**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan (Park Area) – General POV**

Standing next to a fountain in the middle of the park, was a person who was seemed to be looking around as if they lost some kind of large animal. Or, at least, something of the sort...

The person's appearance was that of a 17-year old young man with short brown hair and dark brown eyes underneath a pair of dark-green tinted aviator sunglasses. He was wearing a green t-shirt with a picture of a stereotypical video game controller being overshadowed by a strange symbol, brown khaki shorts that went down to his knees and black-and-green sandals on his feet. His body was somewhat filled out, having noticeable muscles on his arms and legs, yet still definitively slim.

His eyes scanning the park around him from underneath the sunglasses he wore, he was clicking his tongue inside of his mouth quietly. After almost an hour of looking around for...whatever he was searching for, he started muttering under his breath while taking a seat on the edge of the fountain.

"Where the hell is he? Russell said the [Admins] would drop him in **this spot**. Did he already go to beat his first [Quest]? Or, did a [CG] get to him? I hope he doesn't suffer too bad of a [Dis-Connect]...well, I'll just wait for him here. Stay the hell alive, man..."

* * *

 **[ID: Dark Puppet's Temple]**

 **5 Minutes After Entering...**

 **"BUM – BUM – BUM"**

Jogging lightly through the narrow hallway made out of stone I was in that was illuminated by torches hanging on each side in a series with about fifteen feet in between them, the sound of heavy drums being played in an almost ritualistic manner permeates the air with an eerie vibe.

 **"BUM – BUM – BUM"**

I could see an opening in front of me, where the small walkway dips down a couple of feet and turns, right next to something resembling a completely solid railing made out of debris that just happened to fall there. With moss growing out of it, one could only wonder for how long it had been there.

 **"BUM – BUM – BUM"**

The sound of the drums was definitely coming from this room, if the vibrating feeling in my head whenever they're pounded is anything to go by.

I moved up to the small dip, crouching down before sliding over to the railing/cover. Peering over it, I was blessed with a sight that would've scared the piss out of most normal people.

 **"BUM – BUM – BUM"**

 **{Ooo, OooOooYah, OooYah, OooYah, Ooo, OooOooYah, OooYah, OooYah, Ooo!}**

A horde. No, a small army.

Looking for some kind of grid design to their formation, I managed to get a rough estimate.

It was a moderately lit room, big enough to scream 'ritual chamber'. There were at least 200 or so Puppets mixed with just as many Archers (the bastards!), all going absolutely nuts with the whole 'chanting/singing' thing.

At the other side of the room, I saw something...that made me question if these guys actually **were** intelligent.

Two sets of staircases set apart by a fifty degree angle or so led up about 80 feet or so to a pedestal, where a large wooden cage surrounded by a green aura was sitting. Inside the wooden cage...was **something** that was giving off an incredibly bright silver light.

However, the thing that I didn't really get at first, was that there were several vines attached to the cage, seemingly absorbing 'pulses' of the silver light and pumping them upwards towards a giant...circular pane of glass?

"Calling it. Portal." I whispered, not really thinking that it could be anything else.

While the drum beats continued, from which I could see two Puppet Soldiers on the left side of the hall banging on a large pair of bass drums with their wooden clubs, I noticed a significantly taller being stride out of a large opening in the right side of the room.

Standing at about 12-feet tall, it wore a black cloak that concealed its body well. However, just from seeing the giant yellow tribal mask it was wearing, I was hit by a kind of recollection of one of the more obscure 'boss fights' I've ever gone through in any kind of game. I couldn't really remember where it was from, but I definitely remember seeing that thing somewhere.

Ah well!

Even if I can't remember, I'll most likely need to fight him to leave this dungeon anyways.

"[Observe]." I murmured, using my ability on the big guy, being greeted by the familiar blue screen in front of me.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** (Wounded) Dark Puppet King  
 **Race:** Boss Monster

 **LVL:** 10  
 **HP:** 800/800  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 100  
 **END:** 75  
 **AGI:** 55  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

...

"Found ya." I smirked, finally seeing the 'big baddie' of this dungeon. As I thought this, a blinking orange screen appeared.

It seems this [Quest], is almost over...

* * *

 **6 Minutes Earlier...**

"Kinda gross to watch, but neat." I mumbled as I had pulled my pants leg up and over my knee as I was standing by the base of the stairs that led to the temple. I was currently watching the deep slits on the front and back of my knee closing up over the course of a minute and a half. The blood also got soaked back up into the wound, which was quite a nice touch. I also noticed the holes in my pants leg patched themselves up.

I tested stepping on my left foot a few times, not feeling any pain nor the 'squelching' of blood in my shoe. There was no more 'wet feeling' either.

Yay!

Now, to head on inside and finish this [Quest] up!

Pulling my pants leg back down, I started running up the steps towards the entrance to the temple that was situated just above the temple's dead-center'.

No more playing around. No more monkey business.

I made the mistake of treating the [Game] as just that, a 'game'. I messed around, wasted time and entered the first dungeon without preparing like I usually would've.

I thought, I could just get the first dungeon out of the way and get a move on with my new life. But, then I got too cautious. I took my sweet time.

I won't be doing that from hereon out.

It took me some time to come to this conclusion, but I'm gonna start playing for keeps, now.

* * *

 **-The Objectives of Your Campaign Quest have Changed!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 1

 **Difficulty Level:** '1' (A Fucking Joke)

 **Objectives:  
** - **Train up to Level 10 (COMPLETED)  
** -Obtain '?' (0/2)  
-Defeat '(Wounded) Dark Puppet King'

 **(Optional)  
** -?

 **Time Limit:** 30 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+1)  
-LVL 1 Crib  
-1 'Magic' Store Token  
-1 'Skill' Store Token  
-3 Health Potions  
-3 Mana Potions

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

Alright, so I just gotta find some stuff, beat that guy and maybe see what that 'optional' thing is, then I'm done here!

I was planning on staying for a moment to see what was going on, but the Puppet King just stood between the two staircases, letting out the same chant as his minions.

After they kept doing this for twenty seconds, I figured that they're probably in a loop or something. Which means, it's time to get to work!

Moving away from the railing, I followed the pathway around to the right before coming to a medium-sized tunnel. Crouching low to the ground, I managed to make my way through it. It led to a small opening inside of another narrow hallway lit by torches.

I dropped down from the opening that was about five feet up the wall, hitting the ground and sighing.

Because there were Soldiers just down the way. And they apparently heard me.

Turning towards them, using [Observe] on both of them and rushing forward, I met them halfway.

Dodging their attacks and giving them a few hard hits each, the two Soldiers crumpled to the ground and died. Taking a small look up and down the hallway, I didn't see any more of them or any other kind of Puppet.

And so, I turned back towards where the Puppet Soldiers were stationed and started running. Ten seconds went by as I passed the spot they were standing in. Coming up on my right was a sharp turn in the hallway. Moving myself away towards the wall slightly, I slowed down when coming up to the wall, taking a quick glance around it.

There were three more Puppet Soldiers and two Archers down the hallway. However, they were standing just outside of an opening on the left, almost like they're guarding a room. I used [Observe] on each of them before coming out from behind the corner and running at them, drawing their attention.

The Archers started to load arrows into their bows, whilst the Soldiers started charging at me with their clubs raised.

I had to wing it, sure, but I tried to guess when the Archers would fire. Shifting the direction I ran in slightly, I managed to put a Soldier in between me and the Archers.

 **"Thunk" "Thunk"**

Seeing the Soldier lurch a couple of times and his HP go down by about 30 points, I felt relieved.

These guys are **really** stupid.

After that, I managed to defeat the Soldiers easily, making sure to always keep one of them in the Archers' line-of-fire. Considering that I was only about seven feet away from the Archers when I was fighting made it easy to get up close to them when I was done taking care of their friends.

When I was done with that fight, I found that I gained a 'level up' from it. I dismissed that notification, though, since I had more pressing matters to attend to.

Namely, the room they were guarding.

"Heh, another case of 'baddies' in a game leaving a map of their fortress in plain view." I mumbled, looking over the thing that could be called a 'map'...of sorts.

If maps looked like primitive cave drawings.

It basically had four things of importance on it. A picture of the temple itself, a large square room in the middle which was probably the room where their little 'ritual' is occurring, a red splotch with an arrow pointing at the roof of the temple and a green splotch in the lowest parts of the temple.

Conveniently, the red and green splotches had the numbers '1' and '2' written next to them.

"Alright, so I'm going upstairs first, then downstairs. After that, I go to the middle and fight the King. Simple enough." I surmised, leaving the room and heading left down the hallway.

Turning corners and fighting three similar groups of Soldiers and Archers, I managed to reach a staircase that went upstairs.

Going up the stairs, I reached the next level of the temple before having to repeat the whole 'go to the other side to get to the next staircase' thing that most dungeon-prowlers like to use. There were only two groups of Soldiers and Archers on this level. Moreover, like the 'somewhat' pyramid-esque shape this temple has, I found that the upper levels have significantly shorter hallways.

Reaching the next staircase after beating the final Archer's face in, I managed to see natural light coming through from the exit at the top of the staircase.

Hopping up the steps, I made it to the top of the staircase before coming out onto the roof of the temple. With the mist permeating the air, though a tad bit lighter than it was at ground-level, I strode forward onto a 100-foot wide arena that was decorated with tribal-markings on the ground and six stone pillars situated around it like the area with the spires I entered this dungeon from. Next to the arena the gigantic tree, that one could see from miles away, was seemingly growing out of the temple itself.

With thick, burly and aged roots, I could only imagine how long this tree's been alive.

And how the hell it can survive by growing out the top of a temple.

But, 'game logic'.

Taking a small stride about the arena, and keeping a sharp eye out because this just screams 'mini-boss' to me, I tried finding whatever that 'red splotch' on the map was referring to.

However, after about ten seconds of searching, I noticed that it was eerily quiet all around me. Thus, when the sound of rustling leaves came from the direction of the tree, I was able to notice it.

Turning sharply, partially due to a bit of a jump-scare, I focused in on where the noise was coming from and was treated to the sight of a new kind of Puppet coming from a crevice between two of the large roots of the tree.

The biggest difference is that all the other Puppets, save the King, were made of a really dark wood. Darker than mahogany, nearing black in its color. This Puppet, though, was **blood red**. His face covered with a sort of tribal-looking skull mask with multi-colored feathers sticking out the top of it, a bunch of tribal paint on any part of its visible body, a skirt of autumnal leaves hanging around its waist and a bunch of accessories made out of beads covering its neck and feet, this one definitely gave off about as much 'tribal vibe' as the King does.

Not to mention that he has a **Wooden Sword** in his right hand, similar to the one I had used once, and some kind of red glove/shield covering his left hand.

Oh, major 'Zelda' vibes going off. I loved those games, for many reasons! One of them, was that they often made you fight the 'mini-boss' and take their weapons before going on to use them the way they were intended!

So...that's what I'm gonna do to this guy.

[Observe].

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Warrior  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 7  
 **HP:** 250/250  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 30  
 **END:** 25  
 **AGI:** 30  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

Well, he's certainly pretty tough. Tougher than any regular Puppet, that's for sure.

Considering he was still walking calmly towards the arena, I took this moment to equip the 'Clothing' and 'Weapons' I had bought before I came here. Within a moment, I was wearing my **Leather Jacket** , **Leather Arm Bracers** and tightening my grip on my **Steel Knuckles**.

Honestly, I'm gonna try to save my 'Stat Points' for later on. If I have to, I'll use them, but in the case that I make it out of this dungeon without **having** to, then I can focus them on my INT and MAG.

So, I'll use my items to deal with this guy. Considering that I'll have to go to the basement after this, I think there's gonna be another fight down there as well. However, by then, I'll have figured out how these guys fi-"WHOA!"

Throwing myself to the ground, I narrowly missed the Puppet Warrior's swing when he suddenly started charging at me the moment his foot touched the 'tribal markings' on the arena floor.

I knew I couldn't stay like this, so I started rolling over to the right. Hearing a sharp 'thwack' sound, I imagined that he had swung downwards at me and hit the floor instead.

I scrambled onto my feet, determining that this guy's 'Stats' aren't the only thing that make him superior to the other Puppets.

Just like from regular Puppets to the Puppet Soldiers, their aggressiveness and combat abilities increase.

Once I was back on my feet, I got into as good of a combat position as I could with my hands raised up 'boxing style'. Looking over at the Warrior, I saw that he was also in a 'combat ready' stance with his sword held out to the side and his glove/shield-thing held up in a defensive posture.

And so, we both waited on the other to make a move...

With the lack of any other sound in the area, I decided to take a few cautious steps forward. This guy was fast and didn't give as much of a signal as to when he'll attack.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Just as I was raising my left foot for a fourth step, the Warrior dashed towards me. With only a few meters of distance between us, it only took the thing a second or two to cover that distance.

As it approached, I saw it holding its sword out to the side still. Rushing at it at the last moment, I held my left hand out to try and catch his arm while punching at its torso with my right hand, which had the knuckles on it.

I half-succeeded.

"Mother-!" I groaned as I felt an incredibly sharp stinging pain as the slightly sharp sword bore its way into the palm of my hand. The thing must have been able to tell what I was going for and swung early in order to hurt me. However, my right fist met its mark, giving a loud 'thunk' sound as it landed in the thing's stomach.

The Warrior then did something that kind of surprised me. It raised up its 'shield hand' and cocked it like it was gonna punch me with it. I swung my right arm upward to try and deflect it.

I succeeded, but then it back-stepped away from me while holding its sword in a position like it's about to stab me. I tried to use the bracer on my right arm to push the sword away slightly as it came at me while getting ready to punch with my left hand.

Though it cut into my arm just a little, I managed to push the sword away, though when I punched at its face, it raised its shield to stop my attack cold.

After that little exchange, I tried moving backwards to gain a little space and perhaps see how much damage we both took, but the Warrior came after me as I back-stepped.

It stabbed forward with its sword again and, not being as prepared as I was last time, it went **through** my left arm.

"Sonuva-!" I grit my teeth, feeling the same searing pain I felt when that one Archer managed to get me. Blood started seeping out of the wound, flowing over my whole arm and making the leather feel quite...weird. Oh, and it freaking hurt!

But, I knew that I couldn't let the Warrior get away scott-free after it made a risky attack at me. It was now in a position where it was up-close to me and it's 'shield' is out-stretched from its body. While being slightly clumsy in how I did it, I threw another punch at its stomach with my right fist.

It connected properly, but I wasn't really able to put as much power into that punch as I usually do because of my slightly awkward position.

I then forcibly yanked the sword out of my arm while pushing against the Warrior with my right fist on its stomach. This time, it backed off, going back a few meters and getting back into the stance it was in before.

Now that I was free for a moment, I glanced up at my 'HUD'...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 348/465-  
 **-HP:** 128/170 (+15.0 HP/minute)-  
 **-MP:** 112/170 (+13.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

And then, I looked over to determine its HP...

* * *

 **-HP:** 207/250-

* * *

Crap. I did more damage to it, due to not being at full health when I entered this fight, but dammit that guy packs a wallop.

He's fast too. I could barely even keep up.

However, I'm not gonna take the chance here. Opening up my 'Inventory Screen', I mentally commanded for four of those **Medicinal Herbs** to be withdrawn.

Closing my left hand, wincing a bit at the stinging pain of the gash on it, I felt the leaves inside of my grip.

Now, I've never used these before, but it said that they were 'consumable', right?

"Nom nom nom...pthat! Blegh! Tastes like spinach!" I coughed slightly as I forced myself to swallow the vile-tasting leaves after chewing them in my mouth a bit.

I saw my HP instantly rise back up by 40 points, along with feeling the searing pain in my left arm fade away, along with all the blood I lost magically going back into my body.

I think it was the [Gamer's Body] skill that gives me the ability to heal like this...

Not important right now, though.

"Alright. You've got my 'real' attention now. So...let's do this." I grumbled, getting back into my stance and staring down the Warrior.

A few seconds passed in the eerie quiet once again, before the Warrior once again started charging towards me the same way it did the first time.

It went for a horizontal slash, but I simply let my body fall limply to the ground whilst turning sideways. I stopped midway, noting that the sword nearly nicked the top of my head, before kicking out at the thing's legs. Sweeping it up, the Warrior fell to the ground as well.

Recovering as fast as I could, I launched myself from the ground to my enemy. Pushing the Warrior down beneath me, I managed to grip onto its right arm that was holding the sword with my left hand. After that, I started doing my best to wail on it with the knuckles on my right fist.

It repeatedly used its shield-hand to keep blocking all but two of the hits I threw at it. Even though I had no idea what that thing was, I doubt that my knuckles would have held up all that well if I simply tried to finish the fight in this manner.

Besides, what happens if I were to **break** that red shield-thing? I don't really wanna find out.

Getting off of the Warrior, I scrambled back to avoid its slash when I let go of its sword-hand. I waited until it was back on its feet again before going in for another exchange.

It was going for a vertical slash this time. I don't particularly trust my ability to dodge it, so I'll try to catch it on its arm again. This time, though, I know that he'll try to swing early to respond to my efforts.

Ducking slightly to give me more time to get to him before the slash connects, I barely manage to get my hands up to grab at his own. I made a mistake, though, as I used **both** hands to grab at his **right** hand.

Getting slugged across the face by a piece of metal sure seems fun, huh~!?

It isn't. Trust me.

"Pfft!" was the sound I made as a small amount of air left my mouth when its shield impacted my face. I had released my right fist from holding its right hand, however, and had sent my own punch at the Warrior's...stomach.

With a satisfying 'thunk', I managed to extract myself from my precarious position when it showed a sign of a stagger.

I glanced at its HP, just to see what all I did to it.

* * *

 **-HP:** 122/250-

* * *

Alright! I'm half-way there!

Checking my own 'HUD', I grinned slightly.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 348/465  
 **-HP:** 143/170 (+15.0 HP/minute)  
 **-MP:** 113/170 (+13.1 MP/minute)

* * *

So, we both do about 20-25 points of damage per hit, huh?

Knowing that, and that I have more HP than it does, I decided to charge in for the first time in this fight.

The Warrior took up a defensive posture when I started running at it. I figured that it would block any kind of punch I threw at it with that shield, especially if its ready for me.

So, I shoulder-bashed it in the shield. I didn't even try to hold anything back, yet tried to make sure that I didn't capsize due to such a large change in my center of gravity like this.

I managed to knock it out of that defensive posture, though it swung horizontally at me with its sword. Being much closer, I was able to catch its wrist in my left hand while using my right arm to tear its shield arm away from its body.

Once I had done that, I threw my punch at the Warriors face. Connecting properly, I saw that it was also preparing to punch me using its shield hand. Flicking my right arm outwards when it punched forward, though, I managed to push its punch away before throwing another of my own at its chest.

At this point, the Warrior switched to defensive tactics again, bringing its shield up to get ready to defend against whatever I threw at it.

However, I used my right hand, whilst still wearing the knuckles, to grab onto its left arm and pulling it away from its body as much as I could before doing my best to hold it there.

We were now locked in a struggle. The Warrior was trying desperately to free its left and right arms. I was hard-pressed to keep a hold of them.

Now, though, my opponent can't defend against me.

Drawing my head back while keeping hold of its arms, I took a deep breath and squinted. Throwing my head forwards against the Warrior's, I smashed into its skull mask hard.

I followed that up by swinging my left knee up into its gut whilst trying to pull it downward **and** keep it from getting free at the same time.

Once I brought my left leg back down and regained my footing, I moved my right foot forward and hooked it around the left foot of the Warrior. Giving its shield arm one last good push, I managed to make it stumble slightly before falling back.

With my left hand still holding onto its right arm, I brought myself along with it, my right fist primed to punch into its gut one more time. With its shield hand being away from its body, it had no way of stopping the 'drop punch', as it were.

With that...

...the Puppet Warrior died as it crumpled to the ground lifelessly before evaporating into black smoke. However, it left behind the red 'glove/shield' thing.

Reaching over and picking it up whilst getting back to my feet, I used [Observe] on it.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **+Dark Puppet's Red Treasure – Rarity: Absolutely Super Ultra Megarific Fantastically Unlimited Rare  
** **-Price (Selling): Can't Sell  
** **-Type: Glove (Left Hand)  
** **-Stat Bonus: +1 END/level  
** **-Durability: N/A**

 **+Bonus Skill #1: (Dormant)**

 **+Bonus Skill #2: [Block]  
** **(See details below...)**

* * *

 **-New 'Skill' Acquired-**

 **+[Block] – (EXP Gain is restricted for now) – Type: Active  
** **-Allows the player to block incoming attacks by shielding themselves with this item.  
** **-Protects the player from damage that is less than: 20% Maximum HP  
** **-If the player takes damage that is greater than this amount, then the damage will be reduced by this amount before being inflicted upon the player.**

* * *

"Well, that's...not too awful bad. The [Block] ability is **definitely** something I needed. Hm, of course, if I get that other thing in the basement, it'll probably combine into something **much better**. Red and green, in DXD, huh? Probably the [Boosted Gear] or the [Twice Critical]. Or some 'Christmas-themed' thing." I reasoned/joked, opening up my 'Inventory Screen' to deposit my jacket, bracers, and knuckles before slipping the 'Red Treasure' onto my left hand like a glove.

* * *

 **-Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

Dismissing that notification, I went ahead and started heading back down into the temple. Now that I have one of the two things on the 'map', I should be all...set...to...

Being greeted by a group of 10 Soldiers and 10 Archers is fine too, I guess.

 **[Insert epic fighting music]**

* * *

 **[End epic fighting music]**

Stomping on the last Puppet Soldier's fallen form from when I kicked its feet out from underneath it, I went on about my business. However, I was inclined to wonder over 'why' I had to fight so many Puppets the moment I got to the bottom of the staircase.

Running through the temple halls, I managed to get to the next staircase down without any...

...and there they are.

10 Puppet Soldiers and 10 Puppet Archers.

It can't be a coincidence that the enemies are coming at me like this. I guess they know I'm here now, so they're trying to kick me out.

Well, at least they aren't all coming at once. I don't know how I'd fare against 400 of these guys if that were the case...

* * *

I went through them without much trouble, just like the last group. Other than inconveniently running out of MP in the middle of the fight from using [Observe] too many times in succession, it went well. I managed to get a 'level up' in the middle of the fight, refilling my MP and letting me get the maximum usage of [Observe] possible.

I continued on like that for a bit. Going through the hallways to the other end of the temple, go down stairs, fight a group, go to the other end of the temple, go down stairs, fight a group, run through hallways, fight a group...

...and find a big ass room.

* * *

 **5 minutes later**

I decided to take a small five minute break while leaning my back against a wall. Mainly because I'm staring in at this room from the hallway and it looks somewhat similar to what I saw on the roof.

In a room made out of stone and without a huge freaking tree on the sidelines, there was a pillar-encircled arena in the middle of the room.

On the far side of the room, was a staircase leading up to a small pedestal sitting up against the wall with a green light embedded into the wall above it. There were vines coming down from the ceiling that were attached to the light, siphoning energy from it.

Magic gem. We all know it. It's gotta be a magic gem.

So, I decided to take a few minutes to rest. Simply because, I had taken some damage and I wanted to be at max for this fight, just in case its another Warrior.

From all the fights before, I've gotten a couple of levels. I know I said that I'd save my points for INT and MAG when I'm out of this place, but I'm gonna spend a few...

Just on AGI and STR, though. For STR-related items, I only have the **Steel Knuckles**. However, I have quite a few items to cover the slack when it comes END. At least, for now...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **LVL:** 16  
 **EXP** : 349/822  
 **HP:** 200/200 (+19.5 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 200/200 (+16.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 35 (35+0+0)  
 **END:** 36 (20+16+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 35 (35+0+0)  
 **INT:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 18 (1+16+1)

 **Stat Points:** 21

* * *

"Oh, I've passed the 'day one'-mark. Yay." I noted with a dry tone, sighing at the incredible amount of problems I've had over the course of the first day of my 'new life'.

Yeah, I 'done fucked up' at points. I took the [Game] lightly because they said it was supposed to be 'fun'. I **have** been having a little bit of fun, at some points, but it mostly just seemed like 'obligatory grinding'.

Plus, I never really put a whole lot of effort into 'physical activities' before yesterday. It just never seemed worth it. That certainly screwed me over when it came to 'walking through the jungle'.

Seriously, I didn't even realize it until a couple of hours in!

Hah...I'm gonna need to start doing quite a bit more when I get out of here. I'll get a new 'Skill' and 'Magic', put points into INT and see if increasing the level of [ID: Create] will get me some better enemies. Or at least, better EXP yields for these guys.

Taking a deep breath and going into my 'Inventory' and equipping my gear back on, I pushed off the wall I was leaning against and set off into the room...

...or I would've, if a giant red force field wasn't blocking the doorway!

* * *

 **-This barrier can only be destroyed by the 'Red Treasure'-**

* * *

"Why couldn't it just tell that I have it?" I asked, annoyed. However, I complied and cocked my left fist back before punching at the barrier.

Like some kind of anime, the barrier made a large show of cracking and splitting in a spider-web pattern in slow-motion.

This took about five seconds, mind you.

After that amount of time, the barrier shattered and faded from existence. All in all, it was a good way to waste 30 seconds of somebody's time.

Well, unless you went for the 'green thing' first. Then, it would make you 'rage quit'.

However, the sound of rustling and tapping entered my ears when I entered the room. I looked up towards the pedestal to find that four Puppets have appeared and are dancing weirdly in front of it. The 'green light' gave off a particularly harsh pulse of light, causing me to wince.

However, when the light went back to the level it was at earlier, I saw that the four Puppets were gone, and on the pedestal...

...was another Warrior.

Is that how those guys are created? By four regular Puppets sacrificing themselves at the altar?

Moving towards the arena, since I **know** I'm gonna have to fight that guy, I shifted the knuckles in my right hand before giving a small tug on the 'Red Treasure' to ensure that its snugly fitted to the back of my left hand.

When I set one foot in the arena, the Warrior on the altar, who would appear to be sleeping, suddenly woke up and started to sit up from its laid down position.

Swinging one blood-red foot out of bed and then the other, it pushed itself off the altar to a height that was...slightly bigger than the other one.

It was...at least a foot taller, and kind of 'bulky', though that might just be the angle...

I used [Observe] on the Warrior, as almost a 'pre-battle ritual'...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** (Enhanced) Dark Puppet Warrior  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 8  
 **HP:** 400/400  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 120  
 **END:** 50  
 **AGI:** 5  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Fuck. It's AGI stat is low, but if I take even a single hit, I might go 'critical' like with Kiba. She did it on accident, but this guy'll be **trying** to kill me." I muttered, wondering how on Earth I'd even go about beating this guy.

Reaching onto a spot on the pedestal, the Enhanced Warrior picked up a Wooden Sword, except the sword's color wasn't the normal 'wood brown', but more like 'charcoal black'.

So, I used [Observe] on its weapon as well as it started to jog **very slowly** down the stairs.

* * *

 **+Enchanted Wooden Sword (Black) – Rarity: Very Uncommon  
** **-Price (Selling): N/A  
** **-Type: Sword  
** **-Power: +20 STR  
** **-Durability: 400/400**

* * *

 **(((As a side note, if you prefer listening to music or something with your fights, I'd suggest putting on "Middle Boss Battle" from the LoZ: OoT OST here.)))**

Well, at least I can do my best to not get hit, huh?

Now that the Enhanced Warrior has hit the bottom of the stairs, I can see that he is indeed taller than his fellow Warrior and much more heavily built. His wood also seems to be a little brighter, like crimson instead of blood-red.

And the eye sockets in the skull mask he wore are glowing yellow. That's also a difference.

The Enhanced Warrior jogged into the arena, holding its sword out to the side in an obvious attempt at a horizontal swing. I started circling around it as it jogged toward me.

As it came closer and closer, though, it became apparent to me that I would have to dodge at the last second.

So, slowing down my own pace, I allowed the thing to catch up.

Once it got within five feet of me, it swung. I threw myself to the ground to dodge, missing the black sword by about half a foot.

However, I didn't have time to counter-attack, as the Enhanced Warrior quickly changed its stance and swung downward at where I was. I had to roll onto my side to get out of the way, before being forced to keep doing so as it raised its sword back up before swinging at me again and again.

I eventually managed to get back on my feet after dodging five of those swings. The Enhanced Warrior then got set up for another horizontal swing.

I tried circling around it closely to follow the path of the swing, but this thing seems to only be slow when running around. Once you're in range, however, he's merciless.

Case in point?

"Guhaa!" I yelped as I found myself flying through the air for a few feet after the sword struck home. There was...nothing but an intense 'swelling' pain in my gut from where the blade made contact.

Gaaawwwwwd...

I had managed to avoid it enough, somehow, but when my back hit ground, my eyes rolled around in my head as I tried to find my 'HUD'...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-EXP** : 349/822-  
 **-HP:** 79/200 (+18.0 HP/minute)-  
 **-MP:** 200/200 (+13.1 MP/minute)-

* * *

"Gah, shit. That freakin' hurt..." I wheezed, feeling the blood start seeping down my side. Looking over from where I was laying, I noticed that the Enhanced Warrior was hunched over, holding its sword as if its the heaviest thing in the world in both hands with the tip resting on the ground in front of it. The Enhanced Warrior was also trembling like he was having a 'fit' whilst making some strange noise.

 **{Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu}**

What the hell's up with him? I'm the one who got hit...

...

Glancing to the left, I saw the staircase leading up to the 'pretty pretty, shiny shiny'...

...and he's distracted...

...

"Gah, gotta be fast!" I groaned, ignoring the pulsating pain in my gut and running toward the staircase as fast as I could. I didn't hear the Enhanced Warrior running/jogging after me, so I think he was still 'paralyzed'.

Going up the stairs a few steps at a time, it only took me about ten seconds or so to reach the top.

Now that I'm stood here, I can see the eight or so vines connected to the light which, as we all knew it would be, turned out to be a familiar-looking green jewel.

Reaching outwards, I grabbed a hold of two of the vines and started ripping them off of the jewel when...

 **{Ooooaaaa, Ooooaaaa, Ooooaaaa}**

The Enhanced Warrior started chanting and jogging towards the staircase. I noticed that the staircase had no sides to it, and the drop was at least thirty feet or so. If I had to, I'd jump, but I'd rather it not come to that.

Getting finished with two of the vines, I managed to pull out two more while the Enhanced Warrior was busy climbing the stairs. Glancing backward, I saw that it was only ten feet away from reaching the top.

Too close for my comfort, of course.

Turning away from the vines and the pedestal, I got a running start and jumped off the small platform I was on. I could hear the Enhanced Warrior stop moving up the stairs and change direction to head down them.

Coming towards the ground rather quickly, I turned to the side and tucked my legs in. I did this back in middle school, but it seems like so long ago now.

While my landing was definitely rough, I didn't die. I came onto the ground and was forced into a roll by the momentum. I did an extra roll, though, because I wasn't quick enough to stop my momentum.

Getting back to my feet, I moved back towards the arena with an idea. Standing near one of the pillars that encircled the arena, I waited for the Enhanced Puppet to come to me again.

Having hit the bottom of the stairs shortly after I had completed my rolls, the Enhanced Warrior jogged towards where I was with its sword raised above its head.

Once it was within five feet again, it was swinging its sword, but I was already moving around the pillar so it would be in the way of the swing.

My plan yielded **some** success, in that it caused the Enhanced Warrior to not hit me, but it then started circling around the pillar to get to me.

So, I ran to the pillar next to the one we were at. It followed me, jogging when realizing I was out of 'striking range'.

I repeated my strategy, though it swung horizontally against the pillar this time.

 **{Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu}**

Making the same noise it made the first time it was 'paralyzed', I booked it to the staircase with no time to spare.

Reaching the top, I quickly grabbed a hold of two of the four vines left.

 **{Ooooaaaa, Ooooaaaa, Ooooaaaa}**

Again, once I made contact with them, the Enhanced Warrior's 'paralysis' ended and it started jogging towards the staircase.

I tugged on the vines with all I had, managing to rip them off after a few seconds. Grabbing the last two vines, I set about ripping them off as the Enhanced Warrior made it to the stairs.

I finished soon enough, and set about trying to pull the jewel free, since I'd imagine that's what I'm supposed to do. However, despite having convenient grip-holds and not being bigger than the palm of my hand, it was surprisingly well stuck in the wall.

Deducing that I'd just have to go another cycle with this fella, I let go of the jewel when the Enhanced Warrior was half-way up the stairs. I jumped off the platform once again and hit the ground rolling. However, this time I managed to stop after just one roll.

I got back up next to a pillar and waited for the Enhanced Warrior to get here.

Soon enough, it was charging at me again with its black sword held to the side for a horizontal swing. I dodged behind the pillar at the last second, making the Enhanced Warrior miss again. I made my way to the next pillar over, noting that my enemy was following closely behind me. Ducking around the pillar while I was running, I heard the tell-tale 'thwack' of wood-on-stone.

It didn't get stunned this time, though, so I made my way to the next pillar around, and repeated my strategy again. It hit the pillar, but still didn't get stunned.

So, I made my way to the next pillar, and the same thing happened. It still didn't stun the Enhanced Warrior when it hit the pillar instead of me.

I repeated this yet again, starting to feel that maybe I need to do something else to stun him.

So, I ran to another pillar when he was looking to swing horizontally. I noted that he would be swinging to his left. So, when I dodged behind the pillar, I made sure to circle around to the opposite side that the sword struck on.

It was a small opening, but the Enhanced Soldier wouldn't be able to defend or dodge from one attack. So, rushing up, I punched it hard in the shoulder with my left fist clad in the 'Red Treasure'. I made sure to back away quickly though, so that no matter what its reaction was to getting hit with the 'Red Treasure'/getting hit in general, I wouldn't be in range of an attack.

* * *

 **-HP:** 389/400-

* * *

 **{Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu, Ooommmuuu}**

He made the sound!

Again, I ran to the staircase as fast as I could. I put away my **Steel Knuckles** while I was running up the steps, in order to free up another hand to pull with.

Getting to the top, I **threw** my hands over the jewel's grip-holds. Bracing myself against the pedestal with my left foot, I pulled as hard as I freaking could on that jewel.

 **{OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA}**

I could definitely hear that the Enhanced Warrior's chanting cry was **much** more severe and enraged this time around.

So, bracing my right foot against the pedestal as well, I went 'full-on desperate' for getting the jewel.

"C'mon, you stubborn lil' shit!" I yelled, trying to either talk reason into a glowing gem, simply relieve my frustrations, or just get the damn jewel out so that I don't get trapped by the Enhanced Warrior up here.

Because, as one may have guessed, I'm in an 'all-out' position where I can't really just 'let go and run' at the drop of a hat.

Nope, if I'm gonna do this, it's gotta be now!

The Enhanced Warrior had made it to the stairs by this time, nearly screeching like a freaking banshee by this point.

"Don't have time for you to do this to me! Come out! Come out!" I yelled, putting more force into pulling and gritting my teeth to the point that I heard them grinding slightly.

...

 **{OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA}**

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" I continued to yell.

...

 **{OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA}**

"C'mon! C'MON! **C'MON YOU FUCKING ROCK!** " I admit, my voice kinda cracked there.

...

 **{OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA, OOOOAAAA}**

"Rrrrrraaaaaaaaagggg **ggggghhhhHHHHHHH!"**

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...*creak*

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

 **(((End music.)))**

 **LINE BREAK**

I felt my back hit the ground as I fell over, holding the freed jewel in my hands.

I wasn't disoriented or anything, so that's a good thing, right?

I also wasn't dead.

Rolling over, I saw the Enhanced Warrior laying in a heap in the middle of the arena, its sword laying on the ground about two meters away from it. Standing up, I looked over to see that the space where the jewel was...

...there was a gigantic hole in the wall about three meters wide.

With light streaming in from the outside, even though there wasn't really a 'sun', the inside of the room had a much less...eerie look than it did before. Now, it seemed like just another part of the temple rather than a dark basement.

Hearing a sound coming from the arena, though, I looked back over to see the Enhanced Warrior getting back up and grabbing its sword. Standing up, it thrust its sword into the air above it.

A second later, a green barrier covered the door and the hole in the wall. Then, the Enhanced Warrior seemed to stand in the middle of the arena, waiting for me...

"Huh, well, I already have the jewel, so I'm pretty sure I can take care of that barrier easily. You know, if it runs on the same rules as the other one." I reasoned, waving the green jewel in my right hand victoriously.

However, now that I have both 'treasures'...

...let's play 'arts-and-crafts'.

I inhaled sharply as I raised the green jewel high in the air and held my left arm out in front of me.

I then swung my right hand down, slamming the green jewel into the red 'glove' quite handily, a bright flash overtaking my arm.

* * *

 **-Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]: ACQUIRED!-**

 **+[Twice Critical] (Highschool DXD) – Rarity: Absolutely Super Ultra Megarific Fantastically Unlimited Rare  
** **-Price (Selling): Can't Sell  
** **-Type: Sacred Gear (Left Hand)  
** **-Stat Bonus: +1 END/level  
** **-Durability: N/A**

 **+Ability #1: [Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DXD)  
** **-(See details below...)**

 **+Ability #2: [Block]**

* * *

 **-New 'Skill' Acquired!-**

 **-One of your 'Skills' has changed!-**

* * *

 **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DXD) – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 0/100% - Rank: E - Active  
** **-Description: Temporarily doubles STR, END, AGI, and MAG.  
** **-Usage: 10 seconds  
** **-Cool down: 1 minute**

 **+[Block] – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 0/100% – Rank: E – Active  
** **-Allows the player to block incoming attacks by shielding themselves with the Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical].  
** **-Protects the player from damage that is less than: 20% Maximum HP.  
** **-If the player takes damage that is greater than this amount, then the damage will be reduced by this amount before being inflicted upon the player.**

* * *

"Well, I've got two 'Skills' that gain EXP through INT now. 'Status Screen', put all remaining points into INT." I verbally commanded, opening up my 'Inventory' as well when the blue screen popped up in front of me and the points got distributed.

* * *

 **-INT:** 22 (22+0+0)-

* * *

...Yep.

I pulled out eight **Medicinal Herbs** , putting them into my mouth with a grimace.

Within a moment, and a bit of gagging, my HP was back to full. I'm kinda glad that the fight dragged on for a while, due to the fact that my HP had healed up enough that I didn't have to waste all of my 'healing spinach'.

Those potions I bought would refill 20 HP, sure, but I didn't want to use those outside of an emergency.

Anyways, with my HP back up to max, I started running down the steps...

Now that I can actually **do** something to this thing, and I know how to not get hurt by it, I'm ready to kick some ass!

Once I set foot in the arena, the Enhanced Warrior started to charge at me again, holding its sword out for a horizontal slash to the left. I switched directions and ran towards the right, getting next to a pillar.

Just like before, the Enhanced Warrior swung at me, disregarding the pillar that was in the way of its swing. It hit the pillar and its sword seemed to be stuck inside of it.

Mentally commanding my new 'Skill' to activate, I stepped forwards to get up close to the Enhanced Warrior as my 'Stats' were increased.

And then, I proceeded to start punching my enemy as hard and fast as I could while it was stuck to the pillar and my [Boost] was active. With each hit I landed, I could see its HP go down in fair-sized chunks.

After about seven seconds or so of being stuck, the Enhanced Warrior managed to pull its sword free of the pillar. However, by doing so, the pillar actually **collapsed**!

However, there were still five other pillars around us and the thing's HP is...

* * *

- **HP:** 223/400-

* * *

Almost half-way, huh? Not too shabby...

I immediately started running towards the pillar on the opposite side of the arena with the Enhanced Warrior about fifteen feet behind me.

Glancing back as I was almost to the pillar, I saw that my enemy would be going for a vertical slice this time. Knowing that my [Boost] was over by now, I figured that this may be more of a chance to recharge than to attack.

So, slowing down to a jog before quickly swerving around the pillar, I evaded the Enhanced Warriors downward swing which stuck into the pillar just like before.

This time, though, I waited for it to pull itself free on its own, which seemed to take about twenty seconds this time around. Maybe it speeds up the thing's recovery if I'm actively attacking it?

Probably.

Anyways, when it pulled its sword out of the pillar, the pillar collapsed just like the other one.

Instead of wasting time by going to another pillar, I decided to simply lead the Enhanced Warrior around the ring. I can run quite a bit faster than it can, after all.

Besides, saving those pillars will probably be helpful...

So, leading it around the ring for around 50 seconds just to be safe, I started running to another of the pillars. This time, the thing would be going for a stab.

Waiting until my enemy was about seven feet away from me, I threw my torso to the right. Going towards the ground, I curled up and entered a roll. I heard the sound of the sword striking the stone, so I got back up on my feet and activated my [Boost] before going in and wailing on the Enhanced Warrior again.

After seven seconds, it managed to get its sword free again. However, it only had a small sliver of HP left, so I took the risk by attacking it again even as it swung towards me.

Throwing my right fist towards its face, I raised my [Twice Critical] up and used it to block the horizontal swing coming towards my chest.

"Agh, Canada!" I groaned as the attack landed directly on the red shield on the back of my hand. It still felt like it cut into my skin, but the feeling was more like when I fought the regular Warrior upstairs.

Stings like hell, but better than the feeling of death.

But, my enemy's attack wasn't the only one the hit...

Striking the Enhanced Warrior in the face, I sighed in relief as it dropped its sword. The moment the weapon hit the ground, it 'poofed' into thin air (my 'Inventory, hopefully). The Enhanced Warrior gave a short wail before falling backwards onto the ground and fading away into black smoke.

Hoo~!

Now, wasn't that **FUN!?**

Not really.

Well, with that guy beat, I can go ahead and start heading towards the King now.

Turning towards the green barrier-covered entrance to the room, I started walking towards it briskly...only to stop when a bunch of Soldiers and Archers came through it and into the room.

5\. 10. 15. 20. 25. 30. 35...50.

50 of them. 40 Soldiers and 10 Archers.

Seeing that I wouldn't be able to get out of the room with them being there, I settled on moving back into the arena.

I'ma take out the Archers first and...

* * *

 **6 Minutes Later...**

Punching the green barrier with my left hand, I shattered it just like the red barrier earlier. Stepping out into the hallway, I went ahead and un-equipped my jacket and bracers, simply due to the fact that their 'Durability' was getting somewhat low and I wanted them to at least be good enough for the 'boss fight' coming up.

On another note, I gained another level!

I know, right? Boo~! No grinding!

Starting to run again, I started making my way towards the turn at the end of the hallway. However, turning the corner, I was met by a group of 30 more Puppets.

20 Soldiers and 10 Archers all poised themselves to ambush me, causing me to just sigh.

I betcha...this is gonna happen all the way to the 'boss room'.

* * *

 **20 Minutes Later...**

 **Outside Boss Room**

Aha! I was right!

Turns out, these jerks just **love** to ambush anyone and everyone at each and every turn!

However, I beat all of them handily, especially when I'm using [Boost] as much as I can!

I've managed to increase the LVL of [Boost] by two, but it doesn't seem to change the ability at all. That's kind of a bummer, but I'd imagine the abilities are tied into the 'Rank' of the 'Skill', rather than the level.

Anyways, I had just finished slamming the final Soldier's face into the wall. After I did so, I watched as the final Puppet that had been inside the 'boss room', that I had seen when I first entered the temple, was defeated.

Now, glancing to the other side of the hallway I was in, I saw a fifteen foot-tall intricately designed wooden door with a 'green-and-red' barrier over it.

Knowing that I'm at max health with only a bit of MP missing due to using [Observe] multiple times in the last minute, I went ahead and equipped all my gear on, due to the fact that this **has** to be the door to the 'boss room'.

I checked my 'Status Screen', just to get an accurate view of my 'Stats'...

Considering that the King's AGI is at 55, I probably should dump my 'Stat Points' into that. I was planning on saving those for MAG, but I can do that later. Besides, what's the harm in getting faster?

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 1 Human):** +1 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 20  
 **EXP** : 1394/1731  
 **HP:** 240/240 (+24.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 231/240 (+20.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **50** (35+0+0+0) **(+15)  
** **END:** **60** (20+20+0+0) ( **+20)  
** **AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 22 (22+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 22 (1+20+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

* * *

Yeah, I noticed that extra '+0' in my STR, END, AGI and MAG stats. That's for the [Boost] ability I have. It'll basically take the first three numbers and add them together. That way, when all is said and done, my 'Base Stats' will be doubled when I [Boost].

So, now that I have everything set, it's time to fight the 'boss'...

Stepping up to the barrier that covered the door, I cocked my fist back before smashing it into the force field.

Like the others, this one shattered and then broke, but it also had the added effect...

 **"BOOM"**

...of blowing the large wooden doors open as well.

'Dramatic entrance', for the win!

Just from outside the room, I could see that the chamber was mostly empty. There were neither any Soldiers nor Archers to be seen. The drums sitting across the room had been abandoned. Glancing up and to the left from where I was, I could just barely make out the small ledge that I had first seen this room from.

Taking a single step into the room, I knew that shit was about to go down. Because...

 **(((Play "Naruto Shippuden OST: Nine Tails vs. Black Nine Tails")))**

The sound of music reached my ears, startling me for a second since it's been almost completely silent so far throughout this temple.

With the beat of the music pounding along with my heart, I walked into the room.

I noticed too, that over at the drums, a pair of regular Puppets were now there, playing, along with a few other regular Puppets who were playing a bunch of other instruments.

So, that's how 'boss music' works, huh? A bunch of lackies are on the side-lines of every boss stage doing an orchestral accompaniment.

'Game logic' has been broken...

 _ **{Ah, so another [Gamer] has shown themselves in this 'Sacred Ground'?}**_

And **that** , ladies and gentlemen, was quite possibly the most 'bone-chilling' voice I've ever heard in my life!

I turned towards the right where the sound came from, knowing that there's only **one more enemy** in this place that I haven't gotten to properly analyze yet that could **possibly** be able to speak.

Doesn't help the fact that it sounds...gravelly. And old.

Standing in between the staircases leading up to the large pedestal with a giant cage on it, the 12-foot tall King stood there with his cloak surrounding most of his body, leaving only the yellow mask of his visible with two small red lights coming from the eye holes in the mask.

"Yeah, I came in earlier, but you guys seemed busy." I retorted, shifting my stance to face the King directly. After I spoke, he tilted his head upwards slightly.

 _ **{Yes, we 'are' quite busy. However, having my minions be destroyed has...made this require a little more time.}**_ the King spoke while gesturing upwards with his head towards where whatever was inside the cage was being sucked dry to power that large glass contraption.

Still think it's a portal. It's gotta be.

"And 'this' is...?" I gestured with my hand for him to continue. The King just sighed.

 _ **{A ritual to assist our Master. He, who brought us here and offered up a purpose for which we may fight, was our 'beacon'. Our guide. However, he requires power...greater than that of the Puppets. But, this matters not to you. I can tell. You wish for my head as your trophy, isn't that the case? Or, are you aiming at rescuing our 'power source'?}**_ the King spoke solemnly, raising his arms up to the rim of his cloak, showing that each arm was painted in a variety of colors.

I swear...I've seen this guy before...

 _ **{Whatever the case, I shall face you in combat, young [Gamer]. For billions of years, we have done battle with the [Gamers]. At each and every turn, they always seek to destroy us. T'is the way of things.}**_

And with that, the King **ripped** his cloak off, showing that his whole body was painted in a myriad of greens, reds and yellows.

I flashed back to one of the few 'Zelda' games that I've played but never finished...

...the Dark Puppet King...

...is Odolwa.

Holding his hands out, a six foot long steel sword appeared in his right hand, whilst a diamond-shaped green shield appeared in his left.

I saw his [Observe] screen come up again, reminding me of his 'Stats'.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** (Wounded) Dark Puppet King  
 **Race:** Boss Monster

 **LVL:** 10  
 **HP:** 800/800  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 100  
 **END:** 75  
 **AGI:** 55  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

Now that I notice it, I'm currently standing in the middle a bigger arena than when I fought the Warriors. Glancing around, I figured that it must be about two-hundred feet wide.

Yeah, if you haven't guessed it, this temple is pretty damn big...

This room, by itself, is pretty damn big. It's in a rectangular shape, probably measuring at 400x300 feet.

The biggest difference with the arena I was standing on, and the arenas I had fought on before, was that this one didn't have pillars surrounding it.

As I had glanced around, I realized that the King was already walking onto the arena himself. Getting my head back in the game, I took up a 'ready' stance as I watched my enemy to see what he did. I tried using [Observe] on his weapons, but it came back saying they were 'un-observable'.

He **jumped**.

Well, 'leap' is probably more accurate.

Leaping towards me in a graceful arc, the King raised his sword up above his head, signaling a vertical slash. Expecting something crazy from this guy, since he's the 'boss monster', I dashed forward. Running underneath his arc, I made him miss completely.

Seeing that he had missed like that, and was likely vulnerable to take a few hits, I ran towards him as he was in the midst of standing back up and threw a punch at his back, his right knee and his left shin.

Noting that I had done about 11 points of damage with each blow, I was about to back away quickly until I noticed him start to bring his sword around in a spin-attack. Sticking close to his leg, almost becoming a second skin, I managed to avoid his attack.

I tried throwing another punch at his right knee, but it ended up being more of a pathetic slap than a punch.

Now that the coast was 'somewhat' safe, I detached myself from the King's leg and ducked away from him as he went for another horizontal slash in the opposite direction.

This guy was pretty damn fast, considering how big he was. While he may not hit as hard as the Enhanced Warrior, he's certainly much more likely to hit if you stay close to him. Not to mention, he doesn't give you any time to sit there and 'strategize' much due to his increased AGI giving him the ability to do more than come at you at a slow jogging pace.

Getting out of range of another horizontal attack, I decided to start running away from him. I kept my eye on him, however, to see how he would respond.

When he finally stopped with his attack, he saw that I was about twenty feet away and running. I then saw him leap again, but this time he jumped high enough to clear my entire body four or five times over before landing about fifteen feet in front of me with his sword raised high for a vertical slash.

I threw myself to the left as his attack came down, dodging the attack. However, in the time it took for me to roll once on the ground, he had already turned his blade toward me before doing a kind of rising sweep. I didn't have enough time or space to dodge, so I held my left hand in front of me, bracing it with my right as I blocked the attack head-on with **[Twice Critical]**.

The momentum from the attack was enough to make me lose my ground, lifting my body in the air and tumbling backwards for five or six feet. When I finally came to a stop, I was laying on my stomach.

While it felt a little disorienting, considering I haven't been forcibly swept off my feet too often in my life, I knew that these guys don't care if you're laying face down with no means of defending yourself. They'll still attack full-force.

I started rolling my body to the right, continuing to do so for about two seconds or so. I heard a loud 'clang' to the left of me, so I knew that the King had taken the chance to finish me.

As I scrambled back to my feet, I glanced at my 'HUD'. I was able to tell that I barely took about thirty damage from that attack. I think it was mostly due to the fact that [Block] is such a good 'Skill' right off the bat. With such a large difference in his STR and my END, I have no doubt that he could do +50 damage to me easily if I had taken that hit without preparing for it.

Anyways, this guy doesn't seem to be one that I'll be able to analyze at this rate. I'll be going on the offensive the next moment I can.

Which, sadly, is right now.

Rushing towards me with a few steps, the King slashed horizontally at my head. Dashing forward and ducking, I entered a controlled roll underneath the sword swing. As I was coming back up from the roll, positioned directly in front of his hunched-over chest, I activated [Boost] and began punching rapidly at any and all parts of his body that I could. He seemed to be stunned slightly, moving slightly slower than he did before, when I hit him. However, after a few seconds, he stood back up to his full height with his sword raised high over his head again.

Overall managing to land eleven hits on the King, I ducked underneath his legs to avoid him smashing his sword on the ground in front of him to retaliate for me damaging him...

...whoa...

* * *

 **-HP:** 501/800

* * *

...

...270 damage from eleven hits? Something about this seems strange...

Even with [Boost] active, I shouldn't b-JUMP!

Leaping upwards as high as I could, I barely managed to jump over that 'rising sweep'-attack that he just used again out of nowhere.

I guess he'll do that whenever I'm on the ground or behind him.

Landing on the ground again and running towards his legs, I managed to get another two hits on him, doing another fifty or so damage. However, he seemed to be 'hit-stunned' again. So, I gave him another three hits, only being slower this time around because I was slightly confused and hesitant.

Another +70 points of damage, done.

"What the hell? This is too easy." I said out loud, not really meaning to. However, I couldn't contain my confusion. The mini-boss was harder than this, and scarier. I mean, this guy is big and mean, sure...but, it just doesn't feel as...difficult. No, I think the word is complex.

How freaking cautious have I been during this whole thing!? Despite entering this dungeon once I reached the 'minimum LVL requirement', which was due to my wanting to get the 'Tokens' as soon as possible to get new abilities and **really** get started, it just feels like nothing has been **too** hard to handle.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take a direct attack from this guy, but I can't help but feel that **something** is off here...

 _ **{Ah, so you've fixed your [Dis-Connect]? No wonder you seem so surprised. I also must express some disappointment as well. Being wounded whilst retrieving our 'power source' makes it hard to take the punches of a brutish [Gamer] like yourself. Perhaps, our battle could have been more...proper, had there been no prior influences.}**_ the King replied to my comment as if he were saddened due to his prior injuries.

"What do you mean, [Dis-Connect]?" I asked, mentally noting that the King seemed to be awfully rigid in his posture. Kind of like an old war veteran having that 'bad hip'.

The King merely chuckled lowly.

 _ **{I feel like I'm not the person to speak of such things. Moreover, with our 'treasure' in your hands, I can't say that this would have been a fair fight to begin with. Though, I wonder why you aren't stronger on your own? No [Gamer] has ever faced me with such a pitiful punch as yours. 'Their' punches usually tear the stones from the walls of our 'Sacred Grounds'.}**_ he spoke, sounding almost taunting towards me.

However, I haven't been a [Gamer] very long, and I **did** make some mistakes, so I take it in stride.

"I just wanted the reward for the [Quest] as soon as possible. I might've been a little careless, but there seem to have been points where I was far more cautious than I needed to be." I admitted, shrugging before getting back into stance.

Because, unlike in anime, I've never had such long pauses in the middle of a fight before.

The King gave a small scoff.

 _ **{Impatient, are you not? Or, is it possible that you realized?}**_ the King asked, again in a taunting voice. I sighed before looking upwards towards the cage, seeing that the vines connected to it are pumping energy from it at a much faster, almost desperate, rate.

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't waste time talking to me like this. I don't know what your overall goal is, but I do know that I need to beat you down before I can get out of here." I replied, flexing each of my hands slightly.

Simply put, if my enemy is weakened, then I need to finish him off. I don't really know what's going on above me, but it doesn't matter. At least...not for now.

Raising his sword and shield back up in a 'ready' stance, the King's red eyes flashed a bit before they shrunk/narrowed.

 _ **{Very well. This shall be my last act as King. I shall allow the ritual to be performed without any interruptions!}**_ he bellowed before howling as he charged at me, **much** faster than he did previously.

Once he was within twenty feet of me, I couldn't help but grin. After all...

I'm glad that I also managed to stall for time!

Activating [Boost], I dashed forward towards him. He poised his sword for a stab, so I waited for him to thrust his sword forward before dodging to the left, getting right up next to his right hip.

"Hun! Wa! Shi! Be! Gee!" I harped out as I landed five hits onto his pelvis. The 'hit-stun' was a lot shorter this time around, only around two or three seconds.

At that point, I had to roll to the side to dodge his 'rising sweep', which I now thought was simply one of his favorite moves.

The Dark Puppet King of the Rising Sweep.

I had a small chance due to my dodge to get him in the stomach. Taking the chance, I threw a good one-two punch to his gut, only for my second blow to be blocked by his diamond-shaped shield.

"Guhaa!"

Feeling the shield hit me square on, I was lifted off my feet once more. I was sent back about ten feet or so before tumbling onto the ground, this time laying on my back. Seeing the King leap into the air with his sword pointed at the ground, I felt the same kind of panic I felt with the Enhanced Warrior.

 _ **{It's over, [Gamer]!}**_ the King shouted triumphantly, poised to run his sword through me and into the ground.

I didn't have enough time to start rolling in an direction, and he could simply adjust the angle of his sword to get me anyways.

[Boost] was still on.

No choice. Here we go.

Raising my left arm up, I braced it with my right. As the sword neared me, I thrust the **[Twice Critical]** into its side as hard as I could.

*Sshhllllck*

"GAH! FREAKI-! Gooooh!" I screamed, feeling the pain burn into nearly every inch of my right arm.

* * *

 **-WARNING-**

 **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 18/240 **-**

* * *

Why...why did that do so much damage!?

 _ **{I believe, I have won, [Gamer]. By the weight of my sword, I pronounce that you shall not move from this spot.}**_

Seething those words at my face, the King made a point of standing up and leaving his sword stabbed through my right arm.

Walking away from me, the King had obviously deemed me defeated, or at least...immobilized.

...heh.

With the King turned away from me, I silently brought the rest of my **Medicinal Herbs** out of my 'Inventory', along with one of the potions.

Silently healing myself, and gagging slightly due to the combined taste of spinach and 'cold medicine' invading my mouth, I silently laid there for a full minute, noting that the King still doesn't seem to find a need to turn around again.

Looking upward, I saw that the vines were still rigorously pumping like their lives depended on it.

Sighing slightly, I reached my left hand up and, using my STR stat, started trying to pull the sword out of my arm. Noting that I couldn't do it yet, though the sword was slightly budging, I activated [Boost] and started ripping the sword out of...my...

*Clank* *Clank*

 _ **{Aha, this [Gamer] seems to be of the [Hardcore] variety. Pulling my sword out of your arm is quite an impressive feat, young one.}**_ the King noted with a hint of praise in his voice when his sword came out of my arm and cluttered onto the ground.

With me standing on my feet, holding my bleeding arm slightly to try and ease the raw burning pain I felt from doing what I just did, I groaned deeply.

"Well...maybe you just don't know me very well. I admit...it hurts more than an ingrown toe-nail, but I'm no stranger to physical pain. Now, since we're both on a schedule, I'm gonna have to fast-forward through your mandatory ass-kickin'." I mocked, holding up the middle finger of my left hand to the King.

This asshole...

 _ **{Hm, yes, I suppose so. You're certainly a worthy foe for a wounded King. However, I must protect the ritual...}**_ the King drawled, before holding his hand out towards the sword on the ground beside me.

In a flash of light, the sword was gone.

In another flash of light, he held his sword once again.

Stepping towards me with his sword held out to the side, I couldn't help but notice that there was a noticeable limp in his steps.

So, the bastard King feels pain too, huh?

Walking towards me, the King swung out with a horizontal slash. Snapping my torso forwards towards the ground, I dodged it. As I was coming back up, though, I cocked my left fist back and...

*wood snapping*

Threw a hard uppercut in the place where the sun doesn't shine on anyone, even the King.

The King got a 'hit-stun' from that attack, so I drew my left fist back and threw another punch at the King's crotch.

And then another.

And then another.

"[Boost]!" I yelled, getting the power-up and cocking my left fist back once more.

By now, the King had recovered from his 'hit-stun' and held up his sword for an over-head slash. Dashing underneath his legs, I dodged the King's attack.

At that point, I stopped and turned on my right heel, bringing my left arm around for one last punch and...

*wood snapping* *wood snapping* *wood snapping*

"I can do ventriloquism too, bitch." I one-lined, pulling my left hand out of the King's bum as he started to evaporate into a large cloud of black smoke...

...

* * *

 **-Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

...

* * *

 **-The Objectives of Your Campaign Quest have Changed!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 1

 **Difficulty Level:** '1' (A Fucking Joke)

 **Objectives:  
** - **Train up to Level 10 (COMPLETED)  
** - **Obtain 'Sacred Treasures' (2/2) (COMPLETED  
** - **Defeat '(Wounded) Dark Puppet King'  
** -Escape Dark Puppet's Temple

 **(Optional)  
** -Retrieve the 'Power Source' (0/1)

 **Time Limit:** 30 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+1)  
-LVL 1 Crib  
-1 'Magic' Store Token  
-1 'Skill' Store Token  
-3 Health Potions  
-3 Mana Potions

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

"Escape the temple? Why? Oh shit, don't tell me..." I groaned, just before the ground started rumbling. Small pieces of loose debris started falling from the ceiling. The music cut off as the Puppets who were playing the instruments suddenly 'poofed' into black smoke.

This has all the markings of an 'escape the level' trope.

* * *

 **-Escape the Dark Puppet's Temple!-  
** **-Time remaining: 5 : 00**

* * *

That's what the flashing red screen in front of me said. Slowly, the timer started ticking down. I sighed heavily, deciding to just get up there to whatever the 'power source' was, and retrieve it.

I have no idea what it will be used for, but I'd rather have than not have it!

Racing over towards the stairs, flinching slightly every time a clump of debris fell near my face, I un-equipped my **Steel Knuckles** , feeling like I wouldn't need them. Plus, if this 'power source' requires me to carry it, then I'd like to have both hands free.

Hopping up the stairs three steps at a time, I reached the top within 15 seconds.

Now standing here, I could see that the cage was indeed holding **something** inside of it.

A **person**.

A thin red-and-green barrier appeared over the cage when I went to go and touch it. Taking a sharp intake of breath, I cocked my left fist back and smashed the **[Twice Critical]** against the barrier.

Like the door to this room, the barrier not only cracked up and shattered, but the top of the cage along with the bars were also blown off as well.

After I did that, the strong silver light coming from inside the cage dimmed, showing more details of the person inside of it.

Floating slightly, was a person who was slightly taller than I am with long silver hair that went down to the small of their back, though it was flayed out at the moment, along with porcelain skin and fair features. Their curvaceous body was covered loosely by a tattered white dress that came down to their knees.

"...oh god...[Obs...[Observe]." I breathed, finding it difficult to believe what was right in front of me.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Rossweisse (?)  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Race:**?  
 **Affiliation:**?

 **LVL:** 105  
 **HP:** 368/73,682  
 **MP:** 915/163,329

 **STR:**?  
 **END:**?  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:**?  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:** 12,372

* * *

"Ross...weisse. What the hell...? Wait, no time for this." I whispered before remembering what all was happening around me.

* * *

 **-Escape the Dark Puppet's Temple!-  
** - **Time remaining: 4 : 27-**

* * *

"Uh, gah, um...w-well, I hope s-she can forgive me for this..." I sighed, blushing slightly when I reached out and picked her up bridal-style.

Okay, I'm not all that popular with girls! Go ahead! Laugh!

Seriously...how the hell is her skin so sof...

...

..."Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go." I chanted, hurrying down the steps as fast as I could.

Reaching the bottom of them within another twenty seconds, I ran for the door as fast as I could.

Reaching the hallway, I noticed that there was a pile of debris to the right blocking my way around. Remembering the layout of the temple, I deduced that if I went to the left here and circled around, I would come to a set of stairs leading up that I could use to go around to the exit of the temple!

Running along my plotted course, I got about halfway up the stairs when a section of the roof caved in and covered the upstairs exit from the staircase.

Well, that plan is shot.

* * *

 **-Escape the Dark Puppet's Temple!-  
** **-Time remaining: 2 : 52-**

* * *

"Shit. Too much time. Think. THINK!" I sighed, shifting the unconscious beauty in my arms slightly as I reached up and rubbed at my temples.

"No main exit. No roof. Basement...the Basement! I fucking tore a hole in the wall! Hang on, it's gonna get a little rough from here on out!" I shouted, running back down the stairs and making my way down to the basement.

* * *

 **-Escape the Dark Puppet's Temple!-  
** **-Time remaining: 0 : 31 -**

* * *

"Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run." I chanted, pushing my legs as hard as I could as I **flew** into the room where I fought the Enhanced Warrior.

Swerving around one of the remaining pillars that was in the way, I ran towards the staircase in the back that led up to the hole in the wall.

* * *

 **-Escape the Dark Puppet's Temple!-  
** **-Time remaining: 0 : 07-**

* * *

"[Boost]! Hang on, Rossweisse! We're gonna jump!" I shouted, knowing in my mind that she couldn't hear me, but merely wanting to have some semblance of normalcy.

My life got fucked up pretty bad, after all...

I used to sit at home, watch anime, play video games, do IT college online, hang with friends at the movies and generally be the 'Joker' that tries to make people laugh at the stupidest things...

Now...I'm...

"*Inhale* RAAAHHH!" I yelled as I pumped my legs hard and jumped out of the hole in the wall, the light kind of blinding me for a moment.

I heard a loud crash behind me, before I heard nothing but wind.

Falling for about four or five seconds, I manage to open my eyes to see where we're going about halfway down. Seeing a small clearing beside the temple, shrouded by purple-pink mist, I braced myself for landing as best as I could.

However, something strange happened. We started slowing down as we neared the ground. Looking around me, I could see the purple-pink mist swirling around us, acting like a small cushion.

Hitting the ground, felt like nothing more than going down a single step on a staircase. Just a light 'tap' and it's done.

Looking around at the purple-pink mist, I saw that it dispersed itself the moment we touched ground. Sighing slightly at how relieved I was that I didn't have to take the full impact of the fall, I smiled into the air.

"Thanks for that." I said, before looking upward and seeing nothing but a large cloud of dust above my head.

Glancing down to my unconscious companion, I gave her a little shake in my arms to see if she'd wake up.

I mean, I know that she didn't wake up before, but a guy can hope right...

...because...w-while I may not **hate** having such a beautiful female in my a-arms, like this...

...it's a little awkward.

Seeing that I would be getting no response from the unconscious girl, I decided to set off running again.

I'm out of the temple, I got the **[Twice Critical]** and the dungeon is cleared.

The only thing left to do...is get back to that middle spire and get the fuck out.

* * *

 **45 Minutes Later**

* * *

 **-Congratulations! You have completed all of your [Quest Objectives] for this area!-  
** **-Would you like to return to the real world?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"Yes. Hell yes." I agreed, watching as the white screen disappeared before my eyes were hit by a flash of light.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan (An Alley-way)**

Re-appearing inside the real world, I was immediately hit by the recognition that it was nighttime in the real world. The moon was out and casting a silvery glow in the alley-way I had moved to before I started grinding seriously before the dungeon.

Feeling the girl in my arms shifting slightly, I glanced down, only to see that she was just getting comfortable by nuzzling further against m...

...

...haaah, nope. Not gonna happen.

At that point, two golden screens appeared in front of me.

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-  
** -127,690 Yen  
-34x **Ragged Cloths  
** -278x **Wooden Clubs  
** -114x **Wooden Bow  
** -1x **Strong Wooden Sword  
** -1x **Enchanted Wooden Sword (Black)  
** -1x **Dark Puppet King's Mask**

* * *

 **-[Campaign Quest] Completed!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 1

 **Difficulty Level:** '1' (A Fucking Joke)

 **Objectives:  
** - **Train up to Level 10 (COMPLETED)  
** - **Obtain 'Sacred Treasures' (2/2) (COMPLETED)  
** - **Defeat '(Wounded) Dark Puppet King' (COMPLETED)  
** **-Escape Dark Puppet's Temple (COMPLETED)**

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Retrieve the 'Power Source' (1/1)**_ **(COMPLETED)**

 **Time Limit:** 30 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+1)  
-LVL 1 Crib  
-x1 'Magic' Store Token  
-x1 'Skill' Store Token  
-x3 Health Potions  
-x3 Mana Potions

* * *

Immediately after I dismissed both of those screens, a notification on a blue screen came up.

* * *

 **-Your Rank has increased by 1!-  
** **-You have 1 Stat Bonus!  
** **-Would you like to assign your Stat Bonus now?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Pressing 'no' for the moment, the screen disappeared...only to be followed by a teal-colored screen appearing.

* * *

 **-Congratulations! You now have a Crib!-  
** **-Crib Location: Kuoh, Japan-  
** **-Would you like to assign this Crib as your 'Primary Residence'?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

I pressed 'yes', due to the fact that I was immensely curious about what all this 'Crib' entailed.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-Currently Resides in: Kuoh, Japan-  
** **-Would you like to mark the path to your Crib?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

I pressed 'yes' again, guessing that it was just gonna show me the way to my new house.

Once the screen closed, no more popped up in its place (yay!). However, I noticed the ground now had a path that glowed in a teal color that led out of the alley-way and to the right, down the street.

Shifting the girl in my arms, I only hoped that nobody would walk by and catch me in thi-...

...

"Ufufu, ara ara, so, this is where you wandered off too~..."

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 21  
 **EXP** : 143/2082  
 **HP:** 260/260 (+29.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 260/260 (+25.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 35 (35+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 41 (20+21+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 22 (22+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1 (1+0+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 44 (1+42+1)

 **Stat Points:** 18  
 **Stat Bonuses:** 1

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well! That's Chapter 5, for ya!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know I did. And, from here on out, you can expect a much more 'Gamer-esque' fic.**

 **Why, you ask? Because Douglas isn't going to mess around anymore, and he has the 'Tokens' necessary to purchase new abilities.**

 **Also, there's a reason why he just 'gained' two new abilities even though [Fiction Adaptation] says that they must be purchased from the 'Store'. I'll explain that next chapter!**

 **So, yeah. Now that we've got the boring intro out of the way, it's time to have some fun!**


	6. POLL NOTICE!

**Hello Everyone~!**

 **Yep, this isn't a chapter, and I'm sorry for that.**

 **So, I'll keep this short, sweet and to the point!**

 **I've been chatting with a few people concerning this story and the fact that it's not a true 'Gamer fic'. Then, this one guy informs me that the 'Gamer' concept was originally based off 'table-top RPGs', which I actually was not aware of. Even if I learned that at one point, I had obviously forgotten about it.**

 **If I 'had' known, I wouldn't have even written this story in the first place. Or, I would've made it more clear as to my intentions in regards to my story.**

 **Honestly, I based the 'Gamer' ability in my story off the concept of a system used by 'video games', and not one of those RPGs. That's what I honestly thought the 'Gamer' ability was based off of originally.**

 **This led me to get frustrated at how other people portrayed it. I love 'Gamer fics', don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help that little sliver of indignity when I saw that they weren't incorporating any other aspects of 'games' inside their stories.**

 **Anyways, I made a pretty embarrassing mistake. Honestly, I feel quite upset at how short-sighted I had been.**

 **I don't want any pity or reassurances. I'm just stating facts here.**

 **HOWEVER!**

 **I've spent 7 months working out the details of this story (on and off, I have a life too...), and I'm not about to cop out on it just because I messed up with the 'Gamer' ability.**

 **So, after some consideration, I decided that I would just ask you guys.**

 **Now, I have absolutely NO INTENTION of changing my 'Gamer fic' to be more of a 'table-top RPG'. I don't hate them, but I do have a problem concerning the fact that I have 'zero experience' with those kinds of games. It would be impossible for me to write a story like that.**

 **...**

 **So, without further adieu, the choices!**

* * *

 **Would you like me to continue this story as I am, treating the 'Gamer' ability like it came out of a video game? I'll definitely try to improve on my writing style as I go and will even make touch-ups to make everything fit together. I'll even post separate stories with 'Progress Reports' and all-out descriptions of the mechanics of my [Gamer System] that I envisioned.**

* * *

 **Or, should I just re-write the story a little bit, and post it as a 'non-Gamer reincarnation story'?**

 _ **IF**_ **I re-write this story, I promise it won't take too long. There also won't be any 'huge' changes. It's still early enough for me to have everything sorted out within a couple of weeks at most. Then, you can count on chapters coming out at a much more reliable pace, and without any 'boring game mechanic descriptions'.**

 **Or the 'Status Screens' popping up every five minutes.**

* * *

 **I have a story to tell, and I WILL TELL IT!**

 **I just want to know if I should waste my time writing it in the guise of a 'Gamer fic', though...**

 **So, I've put the poll up on my profile. I try to not bother people too much, but please vote.**

 **Thanks for reading, and again, sorry for this not being a chapter...**

* * *

 **Also, yes, I realize that I monologue-d a bit. I also realize that I was quite arrogant and boisterous. Sue me.**

* * *

 **THE POLL IS NOW CLOSED!**

 **CHECK NEXT CHAPTER FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Confrontation and Stuff!

**Well, Everyone. You have spoken!**

 **I won't be re-writing the story as a 'non-Gamer fic'!**

 **Though, to be honest, I really wouldn't have minded. Updates would be a lot easier for me as well.**

 **But! If you're okay with my sub-par 'Gamer System', then I'll just-a keep on-a goin'!**

 **I will, however, take a small moment to thank everyone who voted, and for all those Reviews that were basically telling me that I was trying too hard to appease everybody. And, how I _shouldn't_** **be doing that.**

 **I would like to think that I wasn't asking for a pity party, but nonetheless, it really made me feel a lot better about my story when I read those Reviews.**

 **So, cookies for all of you~!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Why would I even want to own Highschool DXD anyway? Well, besides making it so Tannin doesn't wear a loincloth in the Canon Anime. Nah, I'll suffice with a ventriloquist OC who plays with Puppets on a live long day.

 **Disclaimer #2:** There are a few references to different games in this chapter. I don't own those games...well, I **do** own them, but only copies of them. I don't actually OWN the game itself. I didn't make it, so I don't OWN it. That being said, I will reference them in this chapter.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Confrontation and Stuff!**

* * *

"Ufufu, ara ara, so, this is where you wandered off too~..." came the all-too familiar teasing voice that I had first heard in person just yesterday.

Standing directly in the middle of the opening/exit of the alley-way I was in, was the [Queen] of Rias Gremory. Instead of earlier, when she was wearing her casual dress, she was now wearing the patented 'Kuoh Academy Female Uniform' that every single person who's ever watched the show would recognized.

Despite the fact that this female is quite the looker, and is wearing such an outfit, it doesn't change the fact that she is quite possibly one of the worst people for me to run into at this point in time.

After all, from their point of view, I'm an abnormal human that is trespassing in their territory. Whilst it may be true, the fact remains that they'll want to ask some **really uncomfortable** questions of me.

It's not as if I'd be able to fight back much, either. Akeno could literally splatter me against the wall with a back-hand. And she's not even a physical fighter!

As if it wouldn't be bad enough to be questioned, like they're obviously planning on doing, I also have to deal with the possibility of a huge threat to my well-being.

Simply put, should the spoiled little princess deem me interesting enough, I'll have to constantly watch my back (even more so than I'm already planning to) lest I unwittingly become a part of her Peerage through some 'unsavory means' that she will 'happen to foresee, yet do nothing to stop'.

I'd rather not be involved with her, out of all Devils. Sure, she may appear to be all cute, sexy and innocent, but I know that she's a Pure-Blood Devil at heart. She cares for her own desires, and only gives her servants a few treats so as to either shut them up, or secure their meaningless loyalty.

But, I can rant about Rias Gremory in my head at a later time.

You know, with all the 'plot' that's happening right now?

"I think you must have me confused with someone else, miss...I've never seen you before." I played dumb, simply because it's always worked for me in the past.

Carefully taking stock of my surroundings, I felt that it would be best to try and solve this peacefully without going along with whatever plans she (and by extension, Rias) have for me.

With my left hand securely underneath the unconscious girl's legs, and thus being covered by her slightly tattered dress, I discreetly put my **[Twice Critical]** back in my 'Inventory'.

I'd rather not show such a blatant sign of being a part of the 'Supernatural World' as waving around something like **that**.

I watched, feigning ignorance, as Akeno giggled slightly as she formed a small pout on her face.

"Aww, to tell a girl that she is easily forgotten is quite hurtful, you know? Well, I suppose we didn't meet in a particularly memorable moment. Perhaps a hint? I'm the friend of the blonde-haired girl that ran into you and hurt your...'manly pride'~...ufufu." Akeno replied, seeming to wave off the idea that I forgot about her before teasing me about my choice of words back then.

Hey, far be it from me to deny that a girl nearly killing me like that would do **something** to my 'manly pride'.

Anyways, I was easily able to deduce from the fact that Akeno was here right now, where I was, and spoke of the time we met that she wasn't going to be fooled by my inital approach.

"Oh, yeah, that." I replied in a monotone voice, another thing that I have experience with. Akeno just smiled slightly as she nodded.

"Indeed. However, there were quite a few things that struck me as rather...'odd' about you. First, the fact that Yumi described the person that kept 'poofing' in and out of existence at the park as being a 'blonde male with baggy clothing'. Then, when we decided to follow you for a bit, we were treated to the sight of you doing it again. I'm quite curious about that, but the more immediate thing that caught my attention when we met earlier is that you weren't seriously injured when Yumi ran into you." Akeno explained, having an upbeat and 'faux-curious' tone as she watched me without even blinking her eyes.

I sighed slightly, not even choosing to hide it.

"You've got some interesting things floating around in your head, dont'cha?" I asked sarcastically, preparing myself in case she attacked.

Who the hell knows? Maybe I'll get 'lucky' and dodge a lightning bolt...

...before she throws another.

God, I'm so fucking out-classed right now!

The only other thing I can think of is using [ID: Create – Empty]. I studied the 'Help Screen' and found out that moving around in 'that' kind of 'ID' will actually let you move around in the real world.

However, doing so will almost certainly give Akeno the vibe that I'm of the supernatural and have no intention of being civil about it. People can kick and scream all they want, but if they **genuinely** start going against 'The Man', they'll get in serious trouble.

In this case, if I run from Akeno like that, then it increases the chances that Rias will start hunting me down. It doesn't help that I have an unconscious girl in my arms as well.

"By the way, is that girl there alright?" Akeno asked, sounding slightly worried...and accusatory.

I sighed again.

"Yeah, she's fine, I think. Got herself into a pickle, but I managed to get her out. Look..." I replied, before taking on a much more serious tone. Akeno seemed to pay attention to me a lot more now, seeings as she thinks I'm gonna either comply with her or go against her.

Taking a deep breath and looking her in the eyes, I spoke again.

"I understand that just...'popping up' in your Master's territory is a little upsetting. However, I have no intention of causing trouble. I'm just a guy trying to live his life, just like everyone else. Though, when I say I have no intention of causing trouble, I'll also tack on that I don't particularly want to speak to your Master directly or through proxy. She leaves me alone, and I leave her alone." I stated, trying to sound as confident and re-assuring as I could.

After all, if I can just convince Akeno to leave me be, then I can find a way to get strong enough to where none of them can 'harass' me without significant repercussions.

However, my hopes were dashed when I saw her continuing to smile at me, almost as if I was nothing more than an amusing child who naively believed that things were that simple...

"Ufufu, whilst that was quite the little speech, I'm afraid I can't simply allow that. My Master, as you so **cleverly** put it, won't just leave you be if you have that kind of attitude towards her. She's quite proud, you know? To hear that a **human** is telling her, through one of her own servants, to mind her own business and to stay away from them when they don't even show the respect of telling her that in person...yes, I can't imagine that she would go through with your proposal that easily." Akeno shot down my hopes and dreams of not being bothered by Rias without even the slightest care in the world.

In fact, knowing her character, I'm sure that she actually found it amusing to turn my proposal down. If only for the fact that I'd have to go through an uncomfortable interrogation, in which she gets to participate.

Raising a dainty hand up to her face and gently cradling her cheek, she gave me a dazzling smile with closed eyes. Yeah, you know the one.

"Ufufu, now, will you please come with me~? The sooner we do this...the better~. Or, will you be a 'naughty boy' and resist~? I'm fine either way..." Akeno gave her proposition, her free hand sparking with small amounts of electricity, as if showing her 'desire' for me to refuse...

...

"...unn..." came a small feminine groan from the girl in my arms. Looking down at Rossweisse's face, almost hoping she'd wake up so I'd have a chance of having a little backup, I saw that the girl was still in her incredibly deep sleep. The moan, I think, was nothing more than something sleeping people sometimes do...

...

"Ufufu, she seems quite tired, doesn't she? Come with me, in that case. We can settle our business, and she can rest properly." Akeno tacked on after Rossweisse gave her cute little noise. I sighed slightly.

I guess I'm gonna have to go with Akeno, if only to buy some time or bullshit my way out of this situation...

...

"Neck chop~!" came a completely random voice from beside me. Flinching and turning my head towards the sound, I could only make out a patch of green and brown before it vanished.

*Slapping sound*

In the blink of an eye, Akeno, who had been looking so certain of herself and the idea that she would promptly take me to be interrogated by Rias about the reasons behind me being in her territory, collapsed on the ground like she was knocked out cold...

...

Who...the hell is that? And why does he look so...?

"Hah, well, at least you didn't tell her about the [Game], huh?" spoke the older teenager in front of me. His well-brushed short brown hair blowing slightly in the night wind. His green t-shirt and brown shorts stretched over his body, showing his well-toned physique.

However, when he spoke about the [Game], I understood a bit of who he was...

Time to use [Observe].

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Cameron Phillips  
 **Age:** ? **(Real Age:**? **)  
** **Race:** Human  
 **Race Rank:** ?  
 **Occupation:** Hardcore Gamer  
 **Affiliation:** Ones Guild  
 **Title:** 5th-Tier Hardcore Gamer (?)

 **LVL:** ?  
 **HP:**?/? (+? HP/minute)  
 **MP:** ?/? (+? MP/minute)  
 **(?) (1):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (2):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (3):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (4):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (5):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (6):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)  
 **(?) (7):** ?/? (+? ?/minute)

 **STR:**?  
 **END:** ?  
 **AGI:** ?  
 **INT:** ?  
 **MAG:** ?  
 **LUK:** ?

* * *

Well, besides giving me absolutely 'jack squat' for his abilities, I can't help but be stuck on his name...

Cameron...

...Phillips...

"Oh~? I guess you used [Observe] on me, huh? Well, you probably won't get too much info. After all, with the difference between my level and the level of your 'Magic' being what it is, it just won't work out." the guy, Cameron...explained as if it was common knowledge one explains to a child as he started walking towards me and...

...

"Cameron?" I asked, tentatively, looking at the somewhat familiar guy now standing in front of me. I couldn't see his eyes underneath his dark green aviators, for which I also didn't understand the reason he was even wearing them, but I would bet all the money in my pocket that they were brown...

Grinning at me, he rested his hands on his hips and leaned back. Almost as if he was...relieved?

"Remember me, Doug? Your ol' **Smash Partner**?" he asked sarcastically, like I would have even forgot about the first friend I ever had who convinced me to go to 'gaming tournaments' in my old life and who I always partnered up with whenever we went into the 'team competition' in 'Super Smash Bros'...

...

...

"So, you like the Valkyrie, huh? Pegged you more for the 'Gentle Maid'-type..." he commented, sounding more interested in my personal fetishes than he was over the fact that I was slowly freaking out in my mind.

"...you wanna tell me what you're doing here?" I asked, looking at the guy who casually knocked out an enemy I was not ready to face. If he really **is** the Cameron I know, then he should know that I don't like people fucking around with me when I'm genuinely confused.

Cameron just chuckled.

"Of course, of course. Though, I gotta take this one back to Rias, and then...well, just head on over to your place. I'll be over in about 15 minutes or so." he replied, before walking over to Akeno's unconscious body and picking her up haphazardly by the back of her neck.

In an instant, he vanished from sight with Akeno in his grip, leaving me in the alley-way with my only company being the unconscious Rossweisse in my arms still. Starting off and walking down the tael pathway to my new house, I silently pondered on the changes my life is now being subjected to.

With Rias now knowing about me, I'm gonna be forced to interact with her very soon. That's gonna be a pain, especially if she finds me 'interesting'...

One of my best friends is here now, as well...though, he seems to be another [Gamer], kind of like me. Well, technically, he's a [Hardcore Gamer]. Now, what that entails when referring to all this [Gamer]-business, I don't know. However, from what all has been implied, and directly stated, I presume that he's leagues above me in terms of power and skill.

After all, I never could've won against Akeno at my current level, but Cameron seemed almost playful when he knocked her out cold in one hit. There's no telling how strong he is in the [Game]...

...Cameron...my buddy. The guy who used to sit next to me on the floor as we played video games in front of my old TV. The guy who used to visit me every other weekend by coming down the hill next to his house, cutting through a small treeline, and meet me at a spot in the fence around my property that was torn down.

We're both [Gamers] now, though. I have no idea what all that means when it comes to our friendship from here on out, but I hope that we can still be pals when all is said and done...

As I came out of the alley-way, I entered an 'Empty ID' simply because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of some stranger seeing me carry an unconscious girl with tattered clothing in my arms late at night.

Not suspicious at all...is it?

Within five minutes of walking down a street and entering a spaced-out sub-urban area, I arrived in front of the house that I was rewarded for completing the 'first [Quest]', and was not surprised.

Small. Cramped. Little more than a low-end apartment, really. The property it was on had average amounts of grass and such. Really, this 'screams' that its meant to be a 'starting house'...

But, it was my new home, so I might as well get used to it.

Walking up to the front door of my new house, I was greeted by a teal screen in front of me.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland's Crib-  
** **-Residents: Douglas Roland  
** **-Allow Guests: Friends Only  
** **-Crib LVL: 1**

 **+Upgrade Crib – Costs 50,000 Yen. Gain 5 'Crib Store Tokens'.**

* * *

Huh...'upgrade'...sounds interesting...

I'll wait on that, just for a bit.

Reaching my hand out, I opened up the door. When I tried to go in, however, I felt like something was pushing against the girl in my arms which, in turn, was pushing against me.

Then, a pink screen appeared.

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Rossweisse (?)' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Sighing slightly, I mentally agreed to accept Rossweisse as a 'friend', simply because I know she's quite a good person from the show. However, I had an inkling of a doubt that she might find 'waking up in a strange house' to be...well, a little alarming.

She won't attack me before I can explain, however. I'm fairly certain of that.

Entering the house, I could see that I was now in a small living room with a single light fixture hanging on the ceiling in the middle of the room, lighting the rest of the building. Attached to the living room, were three open doors. Two on the left wall, and one directly ahead of me. Walking by each of them, I saw that the first door on the left led to a small bathroom with a western-styled toilet and shower. The second door on the left led to a bedroom, complete with a box-and-springs twin-sized bed set up in the corner.

Entering the bedroom for a quick second, I deposited the unconscious Rossweisse on the bed before shrugging my jacket off and draping it over her torso. Taking a glance at her 'Observed Screen', I deduced that all she needed was rest in order to come out of her little 'nap'.

Quietly leaving the bedroom, I glanced left and saw that the last room contained a small kitchen area with a two-burner stove, a mini-fridge and a few cabinets for storing food.

Looking back into the living room, I sighed at seeing nothing but cheap carpets with no furniture on them. It was rather sad to look at, to be honest...

Leaning against a wall and crossing my arms, I waited for Cameron to come around...

* * *

 **Nine Minutes Later...**

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Pushing myself off the wall I was leaning against, I walked over to the front door. Opening it, my 'friend' was standing just outside with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Hello there~..." he greeted, sounding far too cheery to be called normal. I sighed, holding the door open for him. He just rested his left hand against his hip before moving his right hand forward and patting the air slightly.

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Cameron Phillips' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Mentally accepting, Cameron then walked through the threshold and breathed slightly.

"Ah, brings me back to my first [Crib]." he said in a reminiscent tone. I gave him a pointed stare as he moved to the middle of the living room and gave a small hop before flopping unceremoniously back-first onto the carpet. Closing the door, I made my way over to a spot a few feet away from him before sitting down more 'quiet-like'.

"Cameron. I can't really describe how happy I am to see you again after...3 years? But, can you please explain to me what's going on!?" I cut to the chase, though being honest about how I felt. Seriously, this guy was a damn good friend to me. I'm happy to see him, no matter what.

Doesn't lessen the confusion or uncertainty, though.

Cameron just gave a long, long sigh.

"Haaaaaaah, yeah. Yeah, that's kinda why I'm here." he agreed, sitting up properly with his right leg slightly extended out and his right arm resting on it. His left arm behind him, supporting him, Cameron removed his glasses and showed his brown eyes to me.

"Well...I guess, first of all, I'd have to say 'Welcome to the [Game]!', or something super corny like that." he spoke, giving a small shrug like it was expected of him to say that. I grunted in response.

"You're a [Gamer], too? A [Hardcore Gamer]?" I asked, knowing that it would help him explain things and help me understand things if I prompted for certain answers. He nodded.

"Yeah. We're [Gamers]. I'm guessing you've already read the 'web-comic', right?" he asked, to which I just shrugged and nodded. He ran his right hand through his hair, giving a slight chuckle.

"Okay, so I don't have to explain **everything**. That's good. I haven't ever 'initiated' someone before, so here's how we're gonna do this. I need you to tell me **everything** you've done since you became a [Gamer], okay?" he stated, giving me a cocked eyebrow. I sighed and nodded.

"Oo! But, before ya do. Can we get some snacks or something? I've been waiting at the park for you for hours and my nerves were going a mile a minute, so I couldn't eat anything!" he asked, rubbing the back of his head with his tongue stuck out.

I sighed again.

"Well...you **are** my guest. What'cha want? Chips? A hoagie? Crackers?" I asked. He just gave a hum.

"Actually, a hoagie sounds **damn** good right about now. Steak and cheese, please~!" he ordered, giving me a two-finger salute. I sighed a bit before going to stand up. He gave me a snort.

"No no no no no no no no. Sit down, **boy**. Tip 'numero uno' for [Gamers]. **Always** , buy from the [Store]. You will never find better discounts on **quality shit** than in that place." he advised. Sitting back down, I surmised that he'll be giving me these 'tips' from now on.

Well, he's more experienced with this [Game] than I am. Besides, we've helped each other out like this dozens of times. I'll go ahead and trust him on this.

Besides, if it turns out that he lied to me later on, the only bad thing that would happen to me is that I wasted a little bit of money on a steak-and-cheese hoagie.

So, opening up the 'Store Screen', I noticed that he wasn't frozen in time when I pulled it up. He noticed my stare and grinned.

"Oh, the 'pause effect'? Yeah, only for non-[Gamers]. For the most part, it's easier for us to keep our abilities secret. Kinda like earlier. You can play off the whole 'poofing in and out of existence' thing quite easily. Teleportation exists in this world, after all. Just...be a little more discreet from now on, kay?" he asked. I nodded, already going into the 'search bar' and looking up our food choice.

* * *

 **+Steak/Swiss Cheese Hoagie – Rarity: Food  
** **-Price: (300 Yen)  
** **-Consumable  
** **-Effect: Good Taste, Fullness +50%  
** **-Ingredient Quality: 1/10 (Horrible)**

* * *

Buying four of them, simply because we both eat quite a bit, I spent 1,200 Yen on the food.

Closing the 'Store Screen' and opening my 'Inventory', I took out two of the hoagies and passed one to Cameron. They were wrapped in a sheet of white paper. Taking a bite into it, I found the taste satisfactory and took another bite.

Chewing my food and swallowing, I looked over to find Cameron munching happily on his hoagie. He gave me a small gesture to go ahead and start explaining.

So, I started telling him about my going through the 'Puppet ID' the first few times and how slow it was with leveling up, he sighed slightly as he stopped eating and swallowed.

"Mistake number one. You didn't level up [ID: Create]. Doing that gives you access to higher levels of the 'ID' you're going to. The enemies are stronger, but give a shit ton of EXP for that difference. If you had done that, you would've gotten to level 10 in...thirty minutes, maybe?" he explained before taking another bite of his hoagie.

Seeing that this would take a while, I went ahead and got his other hoagie out. Handing it to him, to which he just gave me a food-stuffed smile, I continued on with my story.

Going on to explaining how I got to level 10 and bought some items before going into the 'Boss ID', he started choking on his food. Beating his chest a few times, he swallowed before staring wide-eyed at me.

"Holy shit..." he whispered, looking at me like I'm a ghost. I just gave him a blank stare, not really understanding his reaction. He just sighed.

"God, you got fucking 'balls of steel' to be doing that, especially on your first play-through! How many times did you almost die?" he asked, like it wasn't even a question.

I held up my hand with the number three on it. His mouth just dropped a little.

"Whoa, that's pretty damn good. Most guys don't go into the first dungeon at the 'minimum level'. It's kind of like a personal challenge if you decide to do that. It isn't that hard to grind in the [Game], so nobody goes through their dungeons like that unless they're 'thrill-seekers' or 'masochists'..." he complimented. Though, he then looked at me with a serious face.

"However, that's your second major mistake. If you don't **have** to enter a dungeon at the 'minimum LVL', then don't. Grind, over-level, and fuck shit up." he commented, waving a finger in my face like I was a 'damn brat'.

I just sighed.

"So, me rushing to get the first dungeon done to get the 'Tokens' from the reward is stupid or something?" I asked. He shook his head.

"It's...more like a rookie's mistake. You probably got a kind of 'tunnel vision'. You see the reward, and you want it so bad that you took a huge risk in not grinding before entering the dungeon. Not to mention, you didn't train yourself in an 'Empty ID', and thus had to learn everything about the [Effort Gauge] in the heat of the moment. If you had leveled up [ID: Create], I'd have said go in when you were level 30 or so. But, you can use this as 'bragging material'. [Gamers], especially [Hardcore Gamers], respect people who pull crazy shit like that. Though, they'll likely tell you to not do it again." he assured me, going back to eating again.

"So, anyways, I entered the 'Boss ID', right? I end up in a huge freaking jungle, on top of a spire. I go down the spire, come out of it and leave the 'exit zone'-thing. Then, I fought through some Puppet Soldiers and started walking-WALKING!? PFFTHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cameron interrupted me, once again, but this time rolling on the floor, after finishing his first hoagie, and laughing so hard he genuinely might piss his pants.

...

...Yep.

I expected something like this.

Doesn't help that I already feel embarrassed and angry because of this.

"HAHAHAHA, how, ha, how long did you **walk** for!?" Cameron asked, staring at me like he's expecting the world's funniest joke.

Giving him a deadpan stare, with my cheeks flaring up with heat.

"Give or take..."

* * *

 **Outside the house**

If one looked at the strange little house in the middle of the suburbs of a Japanese city, they'd find it comically bouncing up and down into the air while the sounds of loud and boisterous laughter could be heard from inside.

* * *

 **Two Minutes Later...**

"Ha ha ha, hoh hoh, hee hee, hoo hoo..." Cameron huffed and puffed, trying to breathe once again after I had told the punchline to the joke he was expecting.

Sitting across from him, trying to calmly eat my own hoagie, with my gut doing somersaults and my cheeks burning harder than they ever have in my entire life.

Taking a small moment to ponder, I wondered if Rossweisse was woken up by Cameron's loud episode. Leaning back and trying to listen in, I could make out the sound of nothing inside that room, indicating that she was still unconscious.

"...ohmygod, that's literally one of the funniest things I've ever heard. You spent **7 hours** walking through the jungle?" Cameron asked. I nodded.

"Once I figured out why it was taking so long to get to the temple, I felt (and deserved to feel) like the biggest retard on the face of the planet. I ran from there on out, only to stop a few times to let my HP and MP naturally recover so I didn't need to use my items." I explained. He sighed a little before un-wrapping his other hoagie.

"Okay. So, that's how your [Dis-Connect] showed itself." he smiled as he took a bite of his second sandwich. I just looked at him.

"[Dis-Connect]? I heard the Puppet King talk about that. What is it?" I asked. Cameron just showed a serious face for a moment before a loud 'gulp' sound was heard throughout the room. Leaning forward and sitting cross-legged, he looked much, **much** more mature and serious than I've ever seen him 'be' before.

"Look, Doug. The [Game]...isn't all sun-shine and rainbows. It has its share of...shady secrets. One problem, that has always persisted since the [Game] first began was the [Dis-Connect]." he explained, his voice grave and low.

"The [Dis-Connect], is a psychological issue that **every** new [Gamer] faces. Being ripped from real life, and then thrust into a fantasy world where the threat of dying is constantly hovering over their shoulder...do you really think that there wouldn't be **some kind of problem** with that? That people may subconsciously try to avoid playing the [Game] in a 'logical' way?"

"The [Gamer's Mind] 'Skill' keeps us from 'breaking down' from the mental stress of our lives being forcibly changed to such an extent, but that simply means the problem manifests itself in a different way. One that even the [Architect] himself has confessed that he simply **CAN'T FIX**..."

"People...they just can't accept the [Game] all the way. They know they're in it, but it doesn't feel excessively different to them, so they treat it as if its different from their everyday lives. That keeps even 'elite players' from utilizing their immense knowledge and experience with video games to help with this new lifestyle they're expected to live. It's subconscious. In your heart. It's not about 'logic', it's about 'belief'."

"The most common way a [Gamer] will experience [Dis-Connect] is that they'll simply continue to go about their lives as if the [Gamer] ability either doesn't exist, or exists separately from 'real life'. That's the biggest reason why the first [Quest] has such an extended time limit. It's to make sure that you're okay with your new life, that you're used to it, before you're forced to do anything extreme like putting your life on the line to defeat a twelve-foot tall Puppet King." he continued to explain, taking a small bite from his sandwich.

Chewing and swallowing it, he went back to explaining.

"You fucking **rocked** 'Dark Souls', even though you barely paid attention to the 'stats' behind everything. However, no matter how good you are, the [Dis-Connect] subconsciously kept you from really accepting the [Game] and allowing you to be just as good at it as a regular video game."

"It's like what happened in the jungle. You weren't used to thinking that physical exertion like that is **normal**. You were lazy in your old life. Thus, you probably didn't think anything of it when you started **walking** through the jungle. It felt like something akin to those 'walks' we used to take around the neighborhood. Not physically demanding, but still moving nonetheless."

"However, logically, it made no sense for you to **walk** , when you don't get fatigued due to having [Gamer's Body]. Thus, you figured out that **running** would be far more efficient all around and resolved to run everywhere from there on out. I doubt you got over even half of your [Dis-Connect] with just that, but that was definitely the start of you getting past it."

"Now, I have a question for you. When you fought the tougher Puppet enemies, did they pose a threat to you? Did you feel like they were in a completely different league than you just because of their 'Stats'?" he asked, to which I nodded and explained.

"Yeah...the Enhanced Warrior and the King both presented a bit of a challenge to me. The Enhanced Warrior was scarier, though. He managed to land an awkward hit on me with his sword, and I felt...it really fucking hurt, man. I felt like I did when my dad accidentally ran over my foot with his truck. Had to be taken in for surgery on that. God, it fucking hurt. But, once I saw that he was distracted or paralyzed or something after hitting me, I looked up and saw this piece of treasure I was supposed to get. I moved past the pain and went up to it to get at it. Point is, that was definitely the first time I genuinely panicked ever since I became a [Gamer]." I recounted, Cameron nodding along every now and then before sighing when I was done.

"Yeah. Like I said, the [Dis-Connect] is when you feel like the [Game] and 'real life' are separate. Now, they **are not** completely intertwined with one another. However, you have **many** elements of a video game that will play a hand in your 'real life'." he repeated before crossing his arms.

"See, if you were level 30, I can **assure** you, it would've been the other way around. You would've **decimated** those Puppets. That's the [Dis-Connect]. That's one of the biggest reasons why I was so relieved when I found you. You have **no idea** how many [Gamers] die on their first [Quest] due to the [Dis-Connect]. You were able to pull through on 'pure skill' and 'luck'. Not to mention, that nifty little toy you got..." he winked at me, pointing to my left arm.

"You can tell?" I asked. He sighed slightly before grinning.

"Though our INT stat doesn't affect its EXP Gain, [Observe] **is** the next most useful ability after [ID: Create]. You won't find a [Hardcore Gamer] out there that doesn't rigorously train that ability to the moon and beyond." he answered, laying back down on the floor with a grin on his face. He kept on eating the hoagie, even while laying down, but I've seen him do that before and it didn't bother me.

"So...how big of a mistake would you say my first day has been so far?" I asked, already knowing I had fucked up majorly. I didn't even think about it, which was the problem, and ended up taking far too many risks for such pathetic gains. Especially when I didn't need to.

Cameron ate a few more bites, appearing to be thinking things over. Eventually, I heard another loud 'gulp' sound before he sighed.

"You done goof'd. Your first day was almost entirely wasted, simply because you didn't level up [ID: Create]. Not only that, but you didn't train with the weapon they gave you in the [Tutorial] at all. I can tell you now, if they give you a sword or something, then you'll definitely be getting a **damn good** sword in your life-time. Most likely before canon starts as well." he judged critically, not holding anything back and basically affirming that I 'fucked up'.

"Whilst I won't comment on your choice to spend your 'Stat Points' in your physical abilities, due to the fact that it's still your first day and your choice wasn't exactly 'detrimental' in any way, I **will** say that the fact you didn't even **attempt** to grind for them in any other way is disheartening. Granted, it wouldn't have worked, but you would've at least tried. However, I will now give you the secret to increasing your stats super fucking fast..." he continued, before raising his head and looking me in the eyes.

I paid extra attention on this part, simply in case I missed something earlier.

"Level up as fast as you can and complete [Quests] promptly. Do these two things, and you'll get stats **really fucking** **quick**. [ID: Create] is the key. And, whenever the [Quest] comes up, do all the 'optional parts' as well. They'll give you a **nice little treat** later on." he advised. I nodded, already planning on doing that, but taking solace that he said its the 'best way'.

"I will also say that your play-style so far has focused a lot on 'combat skills'. You're trying to get better at fighting, which is admirable. But, trust me when I say this, kay? You **won't** get better just by fighting Puppets. You've gotta fight against regular people for that. There are 'tournaments' that [Gamers] enter in order to fight other [Gamers] in a 'sportsmanlike manner' just for that purpose. I wouldn't sign up for those, though, until your stats are increased quite a bit." he added.

"Lastly, I have no idea what kind of plan you've made for whatever 'build' you'll create, but I have only two little pieces of news for you regarding those 'Tokens' you worked so hard to get. One, they are **insanely** easy to get. No [Quest] is that difficult or time-consuming. Two, and this one I want you to see first-hand. Go into your 'Skill Store'." he ordered, gesturing with his hand for me to do what he said.

I took a deep breath as I did what he said. Opening up the 'Store Screen', I went into the 'Skill Store'.

"Look up some random 'Skill' from another universe." he said. Already, I could see where he was going with this, but I had to make sure...

So, I pulled up the [Chakra Manipulation] 'Skill' that I had my eye on earlier.

* * *

 **-Skill Store-**

 **+[Chakra Manipulation] (Naruto) – Rank: E  
** **-Price: 1 Skill Token  
** **-Requirements: 20 STR, 20 END, 20 MAG  
** **-Description: By combining your 'physical' and 'spiritual' energies, you can create Chakra. Through the use of Chakra, you gain the ability to perform various kinds of feats known as Jutsu.  
** **-Effect: Gain 'Chakra Bar', which will determine the maximum amount of Chakra your body can contain. -Maximum Chakra Amount: (Base STR)+(Base END)+(Base MAG)  
** **-Base Chakra Regeneration: 1/min  
** **-(Purchasing this 'Skill' will grant you access to any [Rank: E] 'Skills' or 'Magic' that involve Jutsu.)**

 **-Purchase this 'Skill'?**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

"Purchase it." Cameron said. I sighed and clicked 'yes', only for a screen to pop up.

* * *

 **-First-Time [Gamers] may not purchase 'Skills' that don't already exist in the universe they start out in!-**

 **-Purchasable Skills Restricted to [Gamer] and 'DXD' Abilities!-**

* * *

"...fuck me." I groaned, rubbing my temples. Cameron just nodded.

"Yeah. First-time [Gamers] have it rough. But, it's set like that so that they don't 'go crazy' with everything. Not to mention, it gives them time to get accustomed to the [Game]." he explained. I dismissed the screens in front of me while sighing.

"But..." Cameron interjected, catching my attention. He then grinned.

"To make up for that, the [Game] will practically **give** you awesome abilities and weapons on a 'silver platter'! Like your **[Twice Critical]** , which will evolve into **[Boosted Gear]** if you level it up to 100 and then purchase the upgrade for it. Even though people like me have no other choice than to **buy** our 'Skills' and 'Magic', you got handed one of the best 'Skills' out there for this universe!" he explained, lifting the heavy mood that's been on the room for the past five minutes due to his judgement of my play-style so far.

Hah...

"Cameron, how long have you been a [Gamer]?" I asked, causing Cameron to gain a slightly somber look before he grinned at me.

"Eh~? Roughly four and a half million years~!" he replied in a sing-song voice. I had the misfortune of taking a bite of my sandwich just before he spoke, so I ended up choking on it in astonishment.

"Cah, blah, gah, fo, four and a half!?" I yelled.

He just smiled sadly.

"The [Gamer System] has lots of imperfections. One of which, is that time is **all** kinds of messed up here. At least, compared to the universe **we** came from. There **is** **NO** definitive measurement. Don't worry, though. I have a handy little ability that you'll also gain called [Perfect Memory]. It lets you recall **anything**. From any point in your life." Cameron explained, though with him saying that I'll gain that ability as well made me curious.

"How will I gain that ability, exactly?" I asked. Cameron just chuckled.

"When you get your 'Base INT' up to 100, it's given to you as a freebie. It's like that for every [Gamer]. All of your other stats will get one as well. Then, you'll get another ability when it reaches 1,000. Then, 10,000. It works on magnitudes of ten. Quite a few of those abilities, though, are mainly for convenience. They help you live life easier. Some, though, will really help you in more direct ways." he explained, not giving anything away about the other abilities I'll get. I sighed slightly.

I was about to speak again, before Cameron suddenly held his hand up.

"Now, I'm fairly certain that we've covered all of your 'big mistakes' that you made on your first day. The [Dis-Connect] is still affecting you, even now. So! Now that I'm here, and I have a little time to kill, I'll assist with your training for the next...two or three months or so. On and off, since I have shit to do as well. However, considering that your 'conquest' is still asleep in the bedroom, I say we get this underway immediately." Cameron spoke, before standing up and walking towards the door. Turning back to me, he had his 'anime moment' when he flashed me a grin and said...

"Time to start making you a **real** [Gamer]."

* * *

 **In the Backyard of Doug's Crib...**

* * *

"Wow, this is pathetic..." I commented as I saw the near barren backyard of my house.

It was nothing but a flat patch of grass in a 10x10 meter square. There were no trees or bushes to be found. Separating my house from the others, was nothing but a wooden fence that stood about seven feet high.

Stepping into the backyard, to which I didn't even have a back door to (we had to leave through the front door and walk **around** the house), I stood across from Cameron as he crossed his arms.

"Now, first, I'm gonna need you to put that 'Stat Bonus' you got into MAG. The points go to INT. After that, you're gonna be buying some abilities." Cameron instructed. I nodded, doing as he says.

As I went about following his instructions, Cameron started explaining more things to me.

"Now, I know you have next to no experience whatsoever with 'table-top RPGs'. Or, even the more sophisticated 'stat-based RPGs' in general. Even for 'Dark Souls', you didn't really **understand** the whole 'number crunching' mentality. However, you were always the guy we all counted on to beat the bosses because...well, you were **so damn good** at just playing the game. You don't do it by the **numbers** , though. You always counted on us to do that. Besides, any time you got the ability to increase your 'stats', you would always sink everything into 'damage', 'toughness', or 'dodging ability'. You're more of a 'skill player' than a 'by-the-book player'. However, you're gonna have to get good at doing at least a little bit of 'number crunching' from now on. That's how the [Game] works." Cameron shrugged.

"Alright, so I've gotten the points distributed." I said.

"Let's take a looksie." he replied, probably using [Observe] on me.

* * *

 **-STR:** 35 (35+0+0+0)-  
 **-END:** 41 (20+21+0+0)-  
 **-AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)-  
 **-INT:** 40 (40+0+0)-  
 **-MAG:** 22 (1+21+0+0)-  
 **-LUK:** 44 (1+42+1)-

 **-Stat Points:** 0-

 **-Stat Bonuses:** 0-

* * *

"Wow, I'm amazed that your STR 'stat' isn't your highest. I'd have thought you'd be all over that." Cameron whistled, though I could tell that he was pretty disappointed at what he was looking at. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head.

"Well...I have some **Steel Knuckles** that give me extra STR. That, and AGI seemed more important at that moment in time..." I reasoned. He sighed slightly.

"Well, it's not **terrible**. I've seen worse, especially from 'newbies', but I really thought that you would've wised up a little more. There are a few guys who make the whole 'muscle-headed guys that punch everything into submission' build work pretty well. They basically ignore MAG and focus on their 'physical stats'. To deal with everything else, though, they'll rely on 'Weapons' and 'resistance-based abilities' to stay alive. I know a few guys that do that and are **leagues** above everyone else. That's another cool thing about the [Gamer] ability, though. There **is no** single build that is the 'greatest'." Cameron replied, scratching at the top of his head before sighing.

 **(((Warning: A bunch of numbers are coming~!)))**

"Well, anyways, your INT stat is gonna basically take the 'Base EXP Gain' of an ability and buff it. With 40 points, you'll be seeing a 4% increase when gaining EXP for [Rank: E] abilities. They have a 'Base EXP Gain' of 10% for every use, which means you'll get 14% for every use now."

"[Rank: D] abilities will cut down the effect your INT stat has to **10%** what it did for your [Rank: E] ability, along with decreasing the 'Base EXP Gain' to 1% for every use."

"[Rank: C] will cut the effect your INT has to **10%** of [Rank: D]'s effectiveness, along with only giving you 0.1% per use."

"[Rank: B], will cut the effect your INT has to **10%** of [Rank: C]'s effectiveness, and you only get 0.01% per use."

"[Rank: A], will cut the effect your INT has to **10%** of [Rank: B]'s effectiveness, and you only get 0.001% per use." Cameron continued, raising a finger to point something out.

"After you get past [Rank: A], you start getting into the 'insanely difficult to level up ranks'. [Rank: S], has a bit of a 'difficulty spike' to it. Your INT's effect is reduced to **1%** of [Rank: A]'s effectiveness. You also only get 0.00001% EXP for each use, which means you have to use the ability **at least ten million times** in order to achieve a **single level-up**." he pointed out. I just blinked slightly, surprised at the number.

"Now, take your [Boost] ability for example. If it takes you a minute to recharge, but you had to keep it active for ten seconds every time, how much time would it take you to level [Boost] up to level 100 if it suddenly **started at** [Rank: S] and you had no points in INT?" Cameron asked, almost as if he was quizzing me on a simple math problem, but with large numbers.

"With no INT? Let's see...700 million seconds for a single level up. Times 100, you'd have...70 billion seconds? Then you get into dividing it by 60...and..." I grumbled, scratching the side of my head. Cameron snorted.

"I'll admit, I don't expect you to do **that** math. So, I'll just tell you. Without any INT, and if you religiously devoted **every single second** to it, you would increase it to level 100 in just **2,219.6-ish** **years**." Cameron saved me, only to make my jaw drop at the number.

"...fucking hell...that's insane." I whispered. Cameron just snorted.

"Yep. That's not even including the time it would take you to get it up to [Rank: S] in the first place~! But, there's also the [Rank: SS] and the [Rank: SSS] abilities. Each one, takes **one hundred** times as long to level up as the last~!" he said, dropping the bomb quite hard.

"So...without any additives, you'd spend **221,960 years** to get a [Rank: SS] [Boost] up to level 100 if you slaved away at it, and another... **22,196,000** **years** to do the same for [Rank: SSS]!?" I replied, shuddering slightly at the thought of those numbers.

 **(((Okay, the numbers are over. Just wanted to put that in there to explain to Douglas that INT is important.)))**

What kinds of sick monsters devote their lives like that!?

"Roughly. However, that that's only for abilities like [Boost], though. The ones that have a 'cool down period' are usually avoided, even by 'top tier' [Competitive Gamers], since they take so long to level up." he tacked on, smirking slightly at me.

Sweet merciful heavens...

"But, that's assuming that you don't put any points into INT. The reason I told you all that, was to stress that INT is **very important** if you want to have good abilities. Before you start grinding your abilities to get EXP for them, you should dump some points or another 'Stat Bonus' into INT. It helps." he finished, before moving to rest his hands on his hips.

"Okay, now that we have that out of the way, buy the [Swordsmanship] 'Skill'." he ordered. I just quirked an eyebrow, though I remembered what he said earlier. He just grinned slightly.

"I told you, didn't I? You're gonna be getting a sword. A **damn good one**. Best to know how to use it **before** you get it though, right?" he reminded, stressing about how 'good' the sword would be.

Hah...alright. I **was** gonna get a 'hand-to-hand'-related 'Skill', but if Cameron says so...

"Trust me. You'll be glad you did. Not to mention, that 'Weapons' can have all kinds of unique abilities and characteristics that will cover your weaknesses or increase your strong points. If you get one like that, it will make it so that you don't have to purchase 'Skills' and 'Magic' just to play 'cover up' or 'catch up'." he assured, giving me a friendly smile.

Hah...fine.

Going into the 'Skill Store', I looked up the [Swordsmanship] 'Skill'...

* * *

 **-Skill Store-**

 **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – Rank: E  
** **-Price: 1 Skill Token  
** **-Requirements: 20 STR, 20 END, 20 AGI  
** **-Description: Allows one to wield a Sword-type Weapon with precision and grace.  
** **-Effect: +10% damage with Sword-type Weapons. -5% Durability loss when using Sword-type Weapons.**

 **-Purchase this 'Skill'?**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Purchasing the 'Skill', I looked back towards Cameron and nodded.

"Good. Now, I'd suggest that you put your other 'Token' towards a 'healing spell' or a 'combat spell'. They're gonna be your 'bread and butter' when you're actively fighting. However, I have one **major** piece of advice when it comes to choosing which 'Magic' to purchase..."

"You'll probably notice that there are different kinds of 'Magic'. In the 'DxD-verse', you'll have stuff like Norse magic, Wizard magic, Demonic magic...you know, the works. In the 'Skill Store', there are abilities that we all refer to as 'affinities'. They basically take each of those 'overall schools' of 'Magic', and offer an ability that reduces the amount of MP it takes to use 'spells' that come from those 'overall schools'."

"For example, let's say you start out with a 'Magic' from the Norse school of magic. You then get the 'Skill' called [Norse Magic Affinity]. That ability will reduce the cost of using 'Magic' related to the Norse school of magic. They're incredibly useful, and also the reason why I give you **this** advice..."

"Stick to one school of 'Magic'. If you go with Norse, then only buy Norse 'spells'. Get the 'affinity', and level that up like crazy. I used Norse as an example, because I'd also suggest going with it as your first 'Magic' focus. It's incredibly versatile, not to mention there are a **shit ton** of 'spells' in it." Cameron explained, basically all but telling me that Norse magic is the **best** magic for 'beginners'.

"Alright." I agreed, not really wanting to provoke another speech like that. I understood him easily enough, and I'm tired of floundering in the water. If my friend is throwing me this lifeline, I might as well take it.

I'm also not very sure of how well this would work out, but maybe sometime down the road, I can get Rossweisse to **genuinely** teach me Norse magic. She's a genius in that shit, after all.

...

...holy shit. **318 abilities** all related to 'Norse Magic [Rank: E]...?

...yep yep yep!

However, most of those abilities required anywhere from 50 to 100 MAG in order to purchase. There were only a few that could be used with 22 MAG.

So, taking a minute or so to pick out two that I liked, and could actually use, I started weighing the decision in my mind...

* * *

 **-Magic Store-**

 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (DXD) – Rank: E  
** **-Price: 1 Magic Token  
** **-Type: [Norse] / [Fire]  
** **-Requirements: 20 MAG  
** **-Description: Allows player to shoot a bolt of fire at an enemy.  
** **-Power: {MAG(MP used x 0.1) + 10}  
** **-Costs: 60-'?' MP**

 **Purchase this 'Magic'?**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic: Hands of Healing] (DXD) – Rank: E  
** **-Price: 1 Magic Token  
** **-Type: [Norse] / [Healing]  
** **-Requirements: 20 MAG  
** **-Description: Allows player to heal themselves or others, thus restoring HP.  
** **-Power: (MAG*0.1 + 10) HP/second  
** **-Costs: 50 MP/second**

 **Purchase this 'Magic'?**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

"Ohh...this is kinda tough. I mean, if I get a 'healing spell', I'm gonna have to get hurt to use it, right?" I deduced, muttering to myself. Cameron just chuckled.

"Yep. It actually doesn't really matter which one you pick. You'll be getting another 'Token' within the next day or so...however, for now I would suggest getting a 'combat spell'." he vaguely commented. I just raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging.

Picking the [Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] ability, I purchased it and dismissed the 'Store Screen'. At that point, I saw Cameron bring up his own 'Store Screen', quickly purchasing things like he already had it planned out before-hand.

"Alrighty, I'm just gonna buy about 100 **Health Potions** and 20,000 **Mana Potions** , along with picking up a 'Weapon' that a friend made when I called in a favor. Since it would be a hassle for you to have the [Swordsmanship] 'Skill' without having a decent enough sword to practice with, I had a special one made for ya." he commented, explaining what all he was doing.

However, to hear the amount he was buying these things in, I just stared in shock at him.

"20,000!? What the hell, man!? That's, like, **240** **million Yen** right there!" I yelled. He just smirked at me.

"Trust me. I can reliably make around **50** **b** **illion Yen** in a little under 12 minutes. This is **nothing** for me. Besides, this way, we don't have to wait for your MP to recharge naturally...well, it would be best to do that at a later time, but right now you're gonna have to play 'catch up'." he reasoned, having already purchased them.

Then, I saw him go into his 'Friends List' and tap the screen a few times. Then, his screen disappeared and a pink screen flashed in front of me.

* * *

 **-Cameron Phillips has just sent you a gift!-**

 **-** x20,000 **Mana Potions  
** **-** x100 **Health Potions  
** **-** x1 **Enchanted Steel Sword**

 **-Do you accept this gift?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Giving a large sigh, I 'accepted', though I felt like he was doing too much for me. Cameron just smiled.

"Now, I want you to start repeatedly entering and exiting an 'Empty ID'. Once you get to the point where you don't have enough MP to do it again, drink a potion. Rinse, and repeat. Get [ID: Create] up to level 10, and then we'll be able to move on. Oh, and use your [Boost] as well. No sense to be neglecting that..." Cameron ordered. Nodding, I brought **[Twice Critical]** back out and used [Boost] before going about my 'training'.

Using [ID: Create], the world around me shifted slightly before settling into a much quieter version. There were no ambient sounds coming from the leaves or the winds.

After a second, I was hit by the notification.

* * *

 **-[ID: Create] has gained 1 level!-**

 **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 2 – EXP: 0/100% – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this spell, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.**

 **-+Available Dungeons:  
** **-[ID: Create – Empty]  
** **-[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1-2]  
** **-[ID: Create – Dark Puppet's Temple] - Restricted**

* * *

"Well, I suppose that's where I'll be heading. Now, to get back..." I spoke, using [ID: Escape] to reappear before Cameron.

"It leveled up."

"Nice. Keep doing it to level 10, though. That's the max you can go into for any dungeon. By the way, you'll be getting a 'new dungeon' soon enough. When that happens, you'll have to increase the level of your [ID: Create] by nine more after you gain access to that new dungeon before you'll be able to enter its 'level 10 version'." Cameron replied before sitting on the ground.

I just nodded before going through my 'required exercise'.

* * *

 **15 minutes later**

* * *

 **-[ID: Create] has gained 1 level!-**

 **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 10 – EXP: 0/100% – Active – Cost:** 40 MP

 **-Allows the player to create an alternate dimension around them. These dimensions are separate from reality and thus anything that happens there will not affect the real world. The player can unlock, by leveling up this spell, variations which fill the created dimension with enemies to battle against.**

 **-+Available Dungeons:**

 **-[ID: Create – Empty]**

 **-[ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 1-10]**

 **-[ID: Create – Dark Puppet's Temple] - Restricted**

* * *

'Poofing' back into existence in front of Cameron, I was in the middle of drinking another of the blue potions that **"taste as if you drank a little bit of root beer, swallowed some and then threw up in your mouth a little"** to refill my MP back up to max. I just nodded to him, who had been picking at the grass underneath him. He just grinned slightly.

"You done? Good. Now comes the 'fun' part." he said as he bounced back up onto his feet by...kicking off the ground with his knees...

...

"That was pretty cool."

"Yes. Yes, it was." he replied, putting his shades back on like some kind of 'super-spy'...

Giving me a smile, though, he reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

"Now, go into the 'level 10 version' of your dungeon. I'll be tagging along so you don't get 'in over your head' with anything." he ordered.

Complying, I activated [ID: Create] one more time to take us into the [LVL 10 Puppet ID]...

* * *

Re-appearing in the familiar clearing from where I had done my grinding to get up to level 10, Cameron let go of my shoulder and casually hopped 15-feet off to the side, ending up near the edge of the clearing. He was obviously telling me with that action that he'd be there **only** if I needed it.

"The regular Puppets, won't pose a threat to you, even with being powered up. Bring out that sword I gave you. It's pretty damn good for training purposes." Cameron commented, resting his hands on his hips.

However, I knew that I wouldn't have all the time in the world to just listen to him now, simply because I spotted those three Puppets coming from the tree-line.

Using [Observe] on all three...I snorted quietly.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 11  
 **HP:** 300/300  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 10  
 **END:** 10  
 **AGI:** 10  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"That's it?" I asked, bringing out the **Enchanted Steel Sword** that Cameron gave me.

I noticed how the Puppets were jogging slowly towards me, so I took a split second to look at the sword in my hands and deduce what was so 'special' about it.

* * *

 **+Enchanted Steel Sword – Rarity: Uncommon  
** **-Price (Selling): (150,750,000 Yen)  
** **-Type: Sword  
** **-Power: +20 STR  
** **-Durability: 160,000,500/160,000,500  
** **-Enchantment Slots: 16/16**

 **-Enchantment Types-  
** **+16 Master Durability Enchantments (+160,000,000 Durability)**

* * *

"Holy!?" I gaped, as I back-stepped away from the approaching Puppets. Giving a few slashes of my new sword, all three of them went down instantly.

I just looked over to Cameron with an astonished expression on my face.

"Where the hell did this thing come from!?" I yelled incredulously. He just smiled at me.

"A lot of [Casual Gamers] don't just waste their time doing **nothing** , you know? Quite a few of them actually just enter their own little trades. They make things, they sell things...and sometimes, if you get all 'buddy-buddy' with them, you can call in favors like, 'Hey, I have a friend who just became a [Gamer]. Can you make him a sword with a shit ton of durability so that he can practice his swordplay without the fear of his blade breaking?'. Anyways, I have a few friends who are **quite good** at making items and equipment. They give me quite a discount, and in exchange, I advertise their work and almost always do business through them. That sword was created by 'Gregory Young', by the way." Cameron explained.

Satisfied with what he said, the two of us turned towards the exit to the next area...

Now, I **could** tell you that I continued onward valiantly, and with honor. However, the truth...

"Gotcha~!"

Cameron trips me up as I start to run. As my face hit the dirt, I managed to retort in a highly sophisticated manner.

"Blegh!"

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 21  
 **EXP** : 233/2082  
 **HP:** 260/260 (+29.1 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 260/260 (+27.3 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 35 (35+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 41 (20+21+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 40 (40+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 22 (1+21+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 44 (1+42+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

 **Now, for the REAL Author's Note:**

 **Well, well, well...Akeno got knocked the fuck out, and our 'hero' is safe. I'd say all's well that end's...**

 **...**

 **...oh, who am I kidding? Roland's probably more screwed being with Cameron than he would've ever been if he had gone with Akeno...**

 ** _Cameron Phillips:_ ** Yo! Tyrius, my man, I'm real happy for ya, and I'mma let ya finish, but how's about we wrap this up?

 **...**

 **...very well.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all real soon!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Breakfast of Doom!

**Hello, and welcome to Chapter 7 of 'DXD – One Gamer's Tale'! I don't have a whole lot to say at the moment, so please enjoy...or hate.**

 **I wouldn't blame ya~!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Cameron Phillips]:_ Yo! Tyrius doesn't own jack shit! Well, besides my ass, Doug's ass, and any original ideas or takes on the [Gamer System]. However, if anything in this seems like something that someone else did first, he'll just let them have the credit!

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Breakfast of Doom!**

* * *

 **25 Minutes Later...**

"So, the other kinds of Puppets are going to start showing up in the next clearing?" I asked, slashing at a small group of three Puppets on my right whilst holding my left hand up towards another on my left, activating my [Arrow of Fire] spell.

With a small red magic circle springing to life in front of the palm of my left hand, it flashed and instantly shot out a thin needle of fire, almost like a real arrow. It pierced into the Puppet's head and created a small explosion, killing the Puppet instantly.

With my sword slash landing on the enemies on my left, and a Puppet getting hit by my magic on the right, I had brought down four more Puppets.

I saw my EXP count on my 'HUD' increase by 120 points from killing those four Puppets. With this, I'm done with this area.

Overall, my 'kill count' up to now has been 360 level 10 Puppets being slain by my sword and my 'Magic'. Having [Boost] be active as much as possible is also a real help, considering that I've been able to tear through these guys especially in both the last area and the one I had just gone through.

The previous area, the ninth area I went to since the beginning, had 75 Puppets coming at me.

This area...93.

The areas seemed to become steadily wider and wider to accommodate the increased load of Puppets coming into them, though, so it never got **too** cramped.

Overall, in the last twenty minutes or so, I had 'grinded' up my stats fairly quickly...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 24  
 **EXP** : 3349/3616  
 **HP:** 320/320 (+44.4 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 242/320 (+42.5 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **80** (60+0+0+0) **(+20)  
** **END:** 44 (20+24+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 69 (69+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 25 (1+24+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 50 (1+48+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

I had also found out that, ever since level 21, I had started gaining 18 'Stat Points' every level up, instead of just 6. Not only that, I was gaining twice as much HP and MP, along with five times as much for my 'Regen Rates'.

Cameron had explained that it was part of the system. Since it's harder to gain level ups once you get to higher levels, the system will reward you more for doing it.

He said that my mind would be blown if and when I found out how many 'Stat Points' he gets whenever he levels up now.

On the same note, though, I also leveled up most of my abilities quite well, I think...

* * *

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DXD) – LVL: 14/100 – EXP: 72.8/100% - Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Block] – LVL: 4/100 – EXP: 35.3/100% – Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP 84.1/100% - Rank: E – Passive**

* * *

 **-Magic-**

 **+[Observe] – LVL: 39 – EXP: 35/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP

 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (DXD) – LVL: 5/100 – EXP: 48.9/100% - Rank: E – Cost:** 60-'?' MP

* * *

Yeah...I've mostly been focused on [Swordsmanship]. It still feels a little weird trying to use my spells while I'm fighting. I should probably pick up the pace with my [Arrow of Fire] ability.

I also had gone into my 'Options' and set it so that it wouldn't show every little detail of my abilities automatically. I had already learned that they don't increase in power when you level them up, so there really wasn't much of a reason to keep bringing up their full information all the time.

Besides, if I ever want to look at them, I can just click on them and it pulls up the information easily.

In short, I'm getting better a lot quicker now. I dare say that, within a week, I might be able to put up a hell of a fight against even Akeno.

After I had finished off the Puppets, I went ahead and pulled out another 'root beer/vomit', I MEAN, **Mana Potion** from my 'Inventory' and drank it...

...blegh...

"Yeah. They typically introduce a new enemy every 10 'rooms'. You'd have known that if you weren't so stuck on the idea of going in and out every time you got a level up..." Cameron replied to my earlier question, which was my reply to his even **earlier** statement.

However, I felt like he didn't really 'need' to tack on that last part.

"So...when should I expect the King to show?" I asked, just now feeling [Boost] be deactivated due to fact that 10 seconds have passed since I used it. Cameron just sighed.

"They were level 10, if I remember correctly. You would face them on the 91st floor. However, you fought a 'Wounded' King in the temple, right? Those are special boss characters, made specifically for the first [Quest] that [Gamers] go through in whatever new life they start leading. As such, their stats are lowered by a significant amount. The regular Kings would be **much** stronger and **far** more virile than the one you fought. I've never fought them in a level 10 dungeon before, but I'd suspect that they'd have stats easily within the 2,000-3,000 range." Cameron explained as we both started running towards the next area.

I gulped slightly at the thought of fighting something like that as I am now. It definitely wouldn't be possible at the moment.

However, if what Cameron is saying is right, then that means that I would have another 80 or so 'rooms' to go through before fighting those guys. Considering that Soldiers and Archers give a hell of a lot more EXP than Puppets do, and with the EXP being multiplied in this level 10 dungeon, I might become powerful enough to stand a chance!

"Your chances against one would be around 5% if you were to continue all the way through on this go-around. However, you'd be fighting 3 at once to start with. Then 5, then 9, then 15. Eventually, you'd be facing 93 of them at the same time. For a guy like you, that is what we **experts** call 'suicide by ventriloquism'. Also known as the 'Chucky Syndrome'." Cameron reasoned, before going off to make a **very** morbid joke about the fact that I'd literally die within seconds.

Coming into the next area, I was greeted by the sight of another of the 'regular-sized clearings', instead of the bigger one I had just come from.

Coming out of the trees, just like Cameron said, were three Puppet Soldiers. They were running at me, so I quickly used [Observe] on all three of them.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Soldier  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 12  
 **HP:** 600/600  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 100  
 **END:** 100  
 **AGI:** 100  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Oh..." I intelligently stated, now seeing what Cameron was talking about.

"Good luck~!" I heard from fifteen feet to my right, seeing Cameron sitting on a 'camping chair' with a drink in his left hand while his right hand, having been replaced by a giant blue foam hand with two simple words on it, was being pumped and shaken in air like an overzealous fan at a sports event.

 _ **"Don't~! Die~!"**_

"Fuck!" I swore as one of the Soldiers swung at me with his club. I barely dodged it by falling back onto the ground. Holding my left hand out in front of me, I shot three [Arrow of Fire] spells, one at each of the three Soldiers around me.

The thin needles of magic stuck to various parts of their bodies before they ensued in a small explosion. I tried to scramble backwards on the ground, but that wasn't very easy. I did so, because I knew that **that** would not have been enough in order to defeat them.

And I was right.

* * *

 **LVL:** 12  
 **HP:** 540/600  
 **MP:** 0/0

* * *

Those were the displays I saw on each of them. I only did 60 damage a piece. I was so royally screwed without [Boost]!

Seeing the Soldiers come out of the smoke caused by the explosions, I got back onto my feet and turned tail to 'strategically retreat' so as to regain the ability to [Boost] before taking these guys on.

However, after they moved forward about two or three yards, they suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. Their arms hung out to the sides, their weapons being held in their hands.

Seeing them twitch every now and then told me something was **definitely** off with their behavior.

"Geez. I thought you'd do a little more than run away in order to stall, you know?" I heard from behind me. Turning my head, I saw Cameron standing there with him lazily holding his hand up towards the Soldiers.

"I suppose this is about it, though. Now, do you see what I mean about **wasting your time**? You should've come into this dungeon before your first 'Boss ID'. Because, the enemies in **that** dungeon? They're **set** at the lowest level possible. If you had all of your 'Stats' at 100, you would've **wrecked their shit**. But, now that I'm here, and now that we know where your 'true' skill level lies, we can get you back on track to not being an amateur with a potty mouth." Cameron spoke, sounding like he did back in my house when he was explaining about the [Dis-Connect].

Incredibly serious. And mature.

I...I just might be seeing what four and a half million years of doing this has done to my friend.

It...changed him.

"Now, let's get to work. From here on out, I'm going to hold these guys down, and you're going to **wreck their shit**." Cameron ordered, giving me a smile that told me that **this** is what he had intended to do all along.

Hah...this guy.

I love you, man.

"Alright. I guess this is only for me to get my stats up?" I asked, holding my left hand out and firing off three more [Arrow of Fire] spells before needing to drink a few **Mana Potions** to heal back up. Firing off three more, I refilled my MP once again.

"But of course. This is how the older [Gamers] help out the younger ones. Usually, you have to pay for this kind of service, but we're pals, so I'm gonna be helping you out like this for the next few months. I suppose I should mention as well, there **is no level cap** for [Gamers]. However, the levels start getting **real hard** to reach around level 100. Especially so early in the [Game]." Cameron replied, explaining what seems to be a 'massive oversight' in the [Gamer System] like it's the weather.

"Now, as for your training in this dungeon, I'd say that you can milk **these guys** until the upper 40's. After that, we'll be going on to fight the higher level ones. All in all, though, by the time you hit level 60, the enemies in this dungeon just won't be worth enough for grinding purposes." Cameron explained, seeming to hint that he wanted me to hit level 60 sometime soon.

I sighed as I fired off another three arrows before drinking two more **Mana Potions**.

"I suppose there's a reason for that as well? Or, is the [Architect] actually just lazy?" I questioned, firing off an [Arrow of Fire] spell at one of the Soldiers that was charged with triple the minimum amount of MP required.

 **MP Used: 180**

 **Power output formula: MAG(MP used x 0.1) + 10**

End result?

 **460 damage.**

The Soldier died.

Refilling my MP a few more times, I did the same to the two other Soldiers.

* * *

- **Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (DXD) – LVL: 8/100 – EXP: 2.4/100% - Rank: E – Cost:** 60-'?' MP  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Fire]  
** **-Power: MAG(MP used x 0.1) + 10  
** **-Allows player to shoot a bolt of fire at an enemy.**

* * *

Now that my HP and MP were fully restored thanks to leveling up, I turned towards Cameron.

"So, STR or MAG?" I asked, knowing he'd understand what I meant. He just continued smiling at me.

"MAG. When it comes to grinding, it's more efficient. Not exactly cost effective, but like I said, the amount of money it takes to buy 20,000 **Mana Potions** is pitiful compared to how much I have." Cameron said, shrugging as if millions of any given currency used by 'First-World Countries' is pocket change.

And he's my friend~!

Quickly putting my points into MAG, I nodded to Cameron and we ran to the next area, ready to take on five more Soldiers.

Stepping into the area, the Soldiers all rushed from the tree-line, only to come within five feet of us and stop, just like the ones from before.

Taking a second to do the math in my head, considering I saw how much damage my [Arrow of Fire] spell did to those Soldiers from before, I nodded as I came to the solution to the formula for 'most efficiency'.

"I think 162 MP per shot should put them down nice and easy. What do you think?" I asked Cameron. He just gave a smirk.

"In the [Gamer System], there's always a 'damage range'. Considering they don't have any MAG, which is a big factor in determining how much resistance they have to 'magic-based' damage, you're on the right track. However, I'd say bump it up to 165 just to be safe. Either that, or slash them once with your sword and then do 162." Cameron explained. I nodded.

So, raising my sword, I gave a slash to each of them. Then, I charged up my [Arrow of Fire] spell with exactly 162 points of MP. Firing it at the stomach of the Soldier, I watched as the explosion ensued, before the Soldier's corpse fell to the ground and started evaporating into black mist.

Relishing in the fact that I now possessed a large enough MP pool for another shot, without having to wait for my natural 'regeneration' to give me a **few points** , I did the same thing to the next Soldier in the line.

Drinking two more **Mana Potions** , I slaughtered two more of the Soldiers like that. Finally, downing another **Mana Potion** , I killed the last Soldier.

* * *

 **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP 68.6/100% - Rank: E – Passive**

* * *

"We good?" Cameron asked, looking at me. I nodded.

Drinking two more **Mana Potions** , we continued on with my training...

...slash massacring.

* * *

 **20 Minutes Later...**

"You know, this almost seems like cheating on **so** many levels." I spoke, killing the last Soldier from the final group of 93, sighing slightly at the fact that I was getting so much stronger from such a cheap form of training.

Pulling up my 'Status Screen', I had very little choice but to sigh...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)**

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 30  
 **EXP** : 10,544/10,847  
 **HP:** 440/440 (+79.0 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 26/440 (+79.9 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **80** (60+0+0+0) **(+20)  
** **END:** 90 (60+30+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 59 (59+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 69 (69+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 99 (69+30+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 62 (1+60+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

Considering that I dumped all of my 'Stat Points' into END and MAG, to increase my toughness and MP Recovery speed along with the damage my [Arrow of Fire] spell causes, I can honestly say that this type of training should be restricted.

Only for Cameron to snort.

"Oh, so you want to fight these guys yourself? I only stepped in with the Soldiers because you **needed** me to. I can only really imagine that the big reason you screwed up there is because you were fighting three enemies that were all stronger than you. It wasn't like your fights with the Warriors and the King in the 'Boss ID', where it was a one-on-one fight against their lowest level versions. When you fought three at once, you panicked. This way might be cheap, but it's the best way for you to prepare fast whilst making any 'Stat Bonuses' you'll get later on be more effective. Besides, you're already much better than most normal humans usually are." Cameron replied, shrugging like my comment really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Just glancing at him, I cocked an eyebrow.

"Better than a regular human? In DXD, that is like saying someone is slightly better than a cockroach." I replied, crossing my arms. Cameron smirked.

"What, you think that just because you're the same level as that Akeno girl that you should be of comparable abilities? Having a MAG 'Stat' of nearly 4,000 basically makes you inconsequential. Though, I do applaud you for keeping your cool in that situation and stalling for me to get there." Cameron responded, sticking his hands in his pocket.

With that, I had stopped in the walking pace that we were going at, looking at Cameron with wide eyes.

"4,000!?" I yelled, hardly believing that I had nearly become a target of someone like that. I mean, I knew that they'd be better than me at the moment, but it would take me **forever** to get to that point if I was on my own!

"Almost. She was kinda toe-ing it. However, I can't exactly say that that's impressive. In this world, it wouldn't be strange to run into people whose 'Stats' are in the millions. But, considering that most humans never get a single 'Stat' above 100, and even then its kinda limited, you're doing pretty well. Not to mention, that when you get the **[Boosted Gear]** , you'll be able to keep up with all of the Devils in Kuoh quite well." Cameron explained.

I was about to question him more on the 'Stats' of regular humans, when suddenly a glowing red screen popped up in front of him.

I was a few feet away and not in a good angle to see what was on it, but Cameron just sighed slightly before scratching his head. Pushing something on his screen he turned to me.

"Sorry. Guild business. We're gonna have to cut this training off right here. Go ahead and use [ID: Escape]." Cameron told me, before suddenly 'poofing' into thin air.

Using my ability as well, I appeared back in my new 'back yard' with Cameron. He crossed his arms as he stared at me with a concerned expression. However, a golden screen popped up right in front of me about the 'loot' I had obtained.

Ignoring that, for the moment, I returned my gaze to my friend standing across from me.

"I'm gonna have to leave you alone for a day or two. However, I'm worried because you're still not strong enough to stand against those Devils on your own. So, I'm going to give you a **very important order** , okay?" he spoke, giving me a second to prepare for whatever his 'order' is going to be.

"Do. Not. Leave. This. House." Cameron instructed, enunciating each word clearly so that I could not possibly misunderstand. I just cocked an eyebrow at him. He gave me a tired smile.

"Right, you don't know yet. Well, basically, that house there? It's **completely** **indestructible**. That's because it's protected by the [Game System] itself. You can also configure that system to only let 'friends' inside. So, should the Devils come rolling up to the house, they wouldn't be able to get past your front door. You could literally stand in the front doorway with the door open, with all of them throwing ranged attacks that can level countries at your house and it won't even **touch** you. Now, if you step outside of the house, it's a different story. Point is, besides the Valkyrie, you're absolutely safe inside that house." Cameron explained. I nodded slightly, though something struck me as odd.

"What about using my abilities? Can I go into [ID: Create] while inside? That way, I can enter a lower-level dungeon and continue grinding." I asked, feeling like I'd be able to make more efficient use of my time if I wasn't simply confined to the inside of a 'bare-bones house' with nearly nothing to do.

I mean, unless I wanted to go full creep and start watching Rossweisse as she slept or something of that nature...

...point is, I **don't** want to do something like that. Especially if she were to wake up and kill me for my 'suspicious activities'.

Grinning at me, Cameron nodded.

"You're getting the hang of it already, the whole 'efficiency' thing~! Yeah, you can certainly do that. I really only moved us out here just in case we ended up taking till morning. On the off chance that the Valkyrie was to wake up, I would rather she not see us just 'poof' into the living room. That tends to raise questions. Sure, the [ID: Escape] ability has a little bit of a defense against 'regular people' seeing us like this. As for the Devils, I can only assume that the main reason they saw you was because they were already on the lookout for suspicious activity. That's a big reason why a lot of [Gamers] tend to just grind out of their homes. Less of a hassle." Cameron replied, shrugging his arms as if to say 'what can you do?'.

I just nodded to show that I understood.

Now, finally being able to pay attention to the 'Loot Screen' that appeared in front of me, I gave it a once over.

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-  
** -46,750 Yen  
-310x **Ragged Cloths  
** -284x **Wooden Clubs  
** -116x **Medicinal Herbs**

* * *

Huh...neat.

Dismissing the screen, Cameron and I walked back to the front door of my house.

Opening up the door, I stepped inside and turned to face my friend who would be leaving soon. Cameron just gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, man. Being in a [Guild] is like this, though. I get assigned to do certain [Quests], which are more like jobs, or people issue [Duel Requests] with the [Guild] and I have to answer them." Cameron spoke, trying to hopefully ease any worries or whatnot that I might have due to him not being around to 'baby me'.

Shaking my head in response, I just smirked.

"Nah. It's cool, dude. I'll just focus on 'grinding' on my own. This time, though, I'll have more time to get more practice at fighting instead of us going all 'Nazi Firing Squad' on them. Good luck on whatever your [Guild] wants you to do." I replied, assuring him that I'd be fine. He just smiled again before his eyes visibly narrowed.

"Oh, and two last little tips... **don't explain anything about the [Game] to a non-[Gamer]**... **and don't use the 'Help Screen' anymore**." Cameron said, leaning towards me while telling me these things in a grave tone. I just blinked at the second 'tip', since I was a little confused.

"Trust me. You haven't used it too much, but I'd stop using it from now on. I'll be back in two days at most. I'll explain anything you want to know about. Just...don't use 'that'." he added when he saw me about to ask.

After he said that last little bit, he 'poofed' into thin air and left me alone (well, besides an unconscious teenage girl) in my house.

Sighing tiredly, I decided to simply trust him for the time being. Closing the door to my house, I turned and looked in the living room, the carpet and walls being the only features the room has.

Getting an idea, I opened up my 'Gamer Menu'.

* * *

 **-Gamer Menu-**

 **+Status**

 **+Inventory**

 **+Skills/Magic**

 **+Store**

 **+Friends List**

 **+Crib – (NEW!)**

 **+Options**

 **+Help**

* * *

Clicking on the 'Crib' tab, I was shown teal screen that was similar to the one I received when I first tried to open the door. However, this one had a few more...features.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland's Crib-  
** **-Residents: Douglas Roland  
** **-Location: Kuoh, Japan  
** **-Allow Guests: Friends Only**

 **-Crib LVL: 1  
** **+Upgrade Crib – Costs 50,000 Yen. Gain 5 'Crib Store Tokens'.  
** **+Renovation Mode  
** **+Crib Options**

* * *

I decided to upgrade my 'Crib' in order to improve my living conditions from hereon out. Cameron had told me about it while I was grinding, saying that it would be 'a huge help in gaining levels faster if I upgraded my Crib'.

So, doing as he suggested, I spent 50,000 Yen in order to increase the level of my 'Crib'.

* * *

 **-Your Crib's level has increased to LVL: 2!-  
** **-You have gained 5 'Crib Store Tokens'!-  
** **-Go to the 'Crib Store' now?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Pressing 'yes', the teal screen shifted to the golden color of the 'Store Screen'. However, I noticed that there was an extra entry on the list of tabs you can choose to purchase goods from. Situated to the right of the 'Magic' tab, sitting on the far right of the bar of entries, sat a tab with the word 'Crib' on it.

Having entered the 'Store Screen' like I did, I was automatically taken to the 'Crib' tab.

Once it had loaded up the screen, I noticed that it was like the 'Magic Store' and the 'Skill Store'. It basically opened up to another 'Store Screen', but it was entirely focused on goods you can buy for your 'Crib'.

The 'Crib Store', as it were.

There were five tabs on the top of the screen.

* * *

 **-Crib Store-**

 **+Cribs+ | +Interior+ | +Exterior+ | +Furniture+ | +Rooms+**

* * *

Considering that I only have five 'Tokens' to spend, I should probably be a little careful with how I spend them.

Going into the 'Rooms' tab first, just to see what they had, I was greeted by the sight of a multitude of icons indicating all different kinds of rooms I could buy to upgrade my house.

Bathrooms. Bedrooms. Kitchens. Living Rooms. Dens. Hallways. Game Rooms.

All kinds of rooms, really.

I also noticed that they each had a 'level' posted in the bottom left corner of each icon, probably indicating what level your 'Crib' has to be at in order to buy them. However, clicking on a few of them, I saw that they each only cost one 'Token' per.

Well, I'll just go ahead and pick them out, since the choices are too numerous to be convenient. After that, I will **carefully explain in complete detail** everything that I purchased inside of my head just in case there are some omniscient beings watching me that might be able to read my mind. I must make sure to give them a proper and precise explanation concerning my decision on which things I'm going to upgrade my 'Crib' with. Simply because I, of all people, know that omniscient beings are only ever interested in one thing.

Interior Decorating.

* * *

 **15 Minutes Later...**

I hate interior decorating. It takes so long~!

In the end, I bought a new guest room, a pair of light brown armchairs, a wooden coffee table, and a new bed.

Most of them were rather ordinary items, except for the armchairs and the bed.

The armchairs, because they were priced as '2-for-1', which is a hell of a deal on armchairs.

The bed, because...well...

* * *

 **+Enchanted Full-Size Bed  
** **-Type: Sleeping Furniture  
** **-Level: 2  
** **-Comfort Level: 1/10 (Horrible)  
** **-Enchantment Slots: 1/1**

 **-Enchantment Types-  
** **+1 Amateur EXP Plus Enchantments (1.5x EXP for 12 hours after waking)**

* * *

Alrighty, now that I've bought some stuff, I went back to the 'Crib Screen' and entered the 'Renovation Mode'.

Suddenly, the screen shifted to show a picture of a 2D layout of my house.

However, I noticed that, on the right side of the screen, was another set of tabs that were the same as the ones in the 'Crib Store'. Pressing on the 'Rooms' tab, I saw that only one room choice came up on the list.

It was the guest room that I bought.

Heh, so I buy the stuff and then use the [Game System] to set it up? Sounds like 'The Sims'...

No...it **is** 'The Sims'.

Anyways, I fumbled around a bit before discovering that you had to 'click and drag' the room over to wherever you wanted it. So, not really caring about the interior design of my house at the moment, especially when it is still so small, I placed the guest room across the way from the bedroom that Rossweisse was in.

Putting down both armchairs across from each other in the small living room with the coffee table sitting in between, I was pleasantly surprised to see the furniture literally 'popping' up and moving into place as though by some magical force whenever I dragged them around on the screen.

So, with those done, I brought my bed out and put it inside the guest room for the moment. I'll switch things back around later, but I have some things to do at the moment...

* * *

 **[ID – Puppets LVL: 6]**

Entering a lower level version of the 'ID' I was in earlier, I brought out my sword and **[Twice Critical]** to begin my 'grinding' once again.

...

Rushing through the first four areas of the regular Puppets with my sword and magical 'fuck these guys' spell, I got the notification that I was waiting for...

* * *

 **-Your LVL has increased by 1!-**

* * *

 **-Congratulations!-  
** **-Your Base MAG is 100 or more!-  
** **-New 'Skill' Obtained!-**

 **+[Magic Regenerator] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 0/100% - Passive  
** **-Increases MP Regeneration Rate by .5/min for every level this 'Skill' gains. This 'Skill' gains EXP when player regenerates MP naturally.**

* * *

 **-MP:** 460/460 (+85.5 MP/minute) **-**

* * *

"Well, hello you useful little ability you~! Welp! I know what I'm putting the rest of my points in now~!" I spoke cheerily, already guessing that END would have a similar ability.

Putting half of my newly-minted 'Stat Points' into END, I was greeted with a similar message.

* * *

 **-Congratulations!-  
** **-Your Base END is 100 or more!-  
** **-New 'Skill' Obtained!-**

 **+[Health Regenerator] – LVL: 1 – EXP: 0/100% - Passive  
** **-Increases HP Regeneration Rate by .5/min for every level this 'Skill' gains. This 'Skill' gains EXP when player regenerates HP naturally.**

* * *

 **-HP:** 460/460 (+85.5 HP/minute)-

* * *

"...yay~!"

And so, I had re-begun my 'grinding' that I had started earlier, but had put on hold while I walked around for a bit, before re-entering, before going into the 'Boss ID', before coming back to the real world, before talking with Cameron, before going outside, before going back in to grind again.

 **(((Just thought I'd include some _intentionally_ bad writing. In all fairness, I'm fairly tired at the moment, so let this be a monument to that.)))**

* * *

 **5 Hours, 37 Minutes Later...**

Oh...I can set my 'Options' so that a clock appears on my 'Status Screen'...

...neat.

Anyways, seeing the clock on my 'Status Screen' read **9:41 AM** , I went ahead and transported out of my most recent entering of a higher-level version of the 'Puppet ID'. I absentmindedly swiped the 'Loot Screen' away, considering that I've just been stockpiling the items that I regularly get from defeating the Puppets and their different counterparts.

To sell, and shit, of course~...

After Cameron had left to go do his 'business', and I went back to training, I found out that, in the next set of 'areas' past the Soldiers, were the Archers. Knowing that, and not trusting myself to be capable of handling much more than the Archers, I had set the end of the Archers section as my benchmark for training.

Basically, I went through the 'Puppet ID' all the way up through the final Archer area before leaving. That basically made each of my trips last for 30 areas.

I believe I've made some good progress. Definitely not as much as I need in order to survive against the likes of Rias and her Peerage, but more than enough to be able to easily go through the level 10 version on my own.

I shall now post the regime of my training inside of my mind, in case a mind-reading being wishes to see what all I did.

All in all, I've gone into the level 6 version of the dungeon twice, before moving up a step and going into the level 7 dungeon twice.

I continued that pattern, and within four hours, I was at the level 10 dungeon all on my lonesome. However, I was far more prepared at that point, so I went through that dungeon twice.

I made it to level 10, all on my own!

Not only **that** , but I did it twice!

I'm so pwoud~!

Well, a little, but the fact remains that it took me this long to do it on my own. Well...considering that I have been 'training' my [Regenerator], [Block] and [Boost] abilities as much as I could **probably** played a hand in it taking slightly longer.

So...yeah. I'm **quite a bit stronger** than I was inside the 'Boss ID'.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)  
** **Time:** 9:42:16 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 45  
 **EXP** : 91,793/167,471  
 **HP:** 840/840 (+190.9 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 840/840 (+191.4 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **200** (180+0+0+0) **(+20)**  
 **END:** 159 (114+45+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 150 (150+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 200 (200+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 159 (114+45+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 92 (1+90+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

...

...so, yeah.

I also found out that, like what happened at level 21, the amount of 'Stat Points' I gain per level up has increased quite a bit. Before, I was getting **18 points** per level up.

Now, I get **54 points**.

However, the downside is that it takes quite a bit longer to level up now. I'd be able to get another level up if I went through the level 10 version of the dungeon again, but after that it would probably take two more reps in order to get another level.

Not only that, but I had maxed out the level of both my [Swordsmanship] and [Arrow of Fire] abilities. Now, I only need some more 'Tokens' and I can start again with them at [Rank: D].

Having done all of that, I think I'm satisfied to take a small break...

...especially considering that I had taken a break earlier to check on Rossweisse.

Turns out, that she's healing quite rapidly by sleeping in that bed. When I found her, she was apparently on the brink of death. However, three hours ago, she already recovered more than a third of her HP and MP.

Walking over to the door to the bedroom, I cracked it open to peek inside and...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Rossweisse (?)  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Race:**?  
 **Affiliation:**?

 **LVL:** 105  
 **HP:** 71,996/73,682  
 **MP:** 104,018/163,329

 **STR:**?  
 **END:**?  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:**?  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:** 12,372

* * *

Holy!?

I thought she'd be at around 60,000, not **almost fully-recovered**!

Well, good thing I'm taking a break for the moment. And, in the nick of time as well. If I had 'popped' back in after another 15 minutes or so, I'd probably end up 'poofing' into existence right in front of a trained magical warrior that would blow Akeno out of the water with just her LUK stat.

Closing the door as quietly as I could, I went into the 'Store' to buy some ingredients and kitchenware.

Hey, I know I can just buy the food already made, but I'm not a half-bad cook, I'll have you know!

Besides, it'll be refreshing, I think, to engage in a slightly more normal activity than 'slaying Puppets with magic and swords'.

Sue me.

Anyways, I bought some eggs, a few steaks, some salt and pepper, along with a good ol' block of Swiss cheese. I also bought a couple of bottles of sweet tea to drink.

For the kitchenware, I bought two non-stick pans, a spatula, two fork-and-knife sets, two ceramic plates and a pair of small hand-towels.

7,800 Yen altogether for my purchases.

Bam~!

The 'Store' freaking rocks~!

 **(((Note: I 'was' going to write an intricately detailed cooking segment right here, but then I thought about it and figured that it would be pretty boring to read.)))**

Setting about cooking a pair of 'steak and cheese omelettes', I got into the rhythm of things quite easily.

It feels just like another Saturday morning at home. I'd wake up to the sound of my nephew screaming as he ran through the house. I'd get out of bed just to move 5 feet across the room to sit at my computer desk. Logging back on to my computer, since I never shut it off, I'd go onto the Internet to browse through FanFiction just in case there were any interesting stories or updates out there for me to read.

After an hour of doing that, I'd get a knock on my door. Opening it up with a passive kind of frown on my face, I'd look down into my nephew's eyes as he'd ask me if I was cooking breakfast. Sighing tiredly, I'd shoo him away whilst answering, "I will cook breakfast, ***. Just give me a sec."

Getting my glasses on, I'd slump out of my room looking like a hung-over Wolverine without the claws. Going through the house, I'd absentmindedly greet anyone that was in the living room watching my nephew.

Stepping into the kitchen, I'd open the refrigerator and take out the ingredients I needed, only to carry them halfway over to the stove before realizing that I forgot one.

So, once I had finally gotten all the ingredients onto the counter beside the stove, I'd set about cooking breakfast.

My nephew would constantly run in a circle going through the kitchen and into the living room before coming back into the kitchen. Then I'd turn to him and tell him, "Stay out of the kitchen while I'm cooking, ***."

...

...

...

Anyways, back to the present, I was humming a small tune whilst finishing up the omelettes and setting them onto the plates when...

*Vrrooom*

"Don't move." a rather authoritative feminine voice ordered from behind me whilst I heard the familiar sound, similar to the one my [Arrow of Fire] makes, of magic being primed and readied to be fired at any given moment.

Now, I am **no expert** when it comes to 'magic sensing', but the feeling of every hair on the back of my body rising up and twitching violently seems to relay the message to my brain quite well.

Not to mention, I feel a little cold in my stomach right now.

"Now, **slowly** raise your hands above your head. Any sudden movements..." the female behind me trailed off.

Now, it only took about a millisecond or two for my god-like level of intelligence to deduce what the best response was to her.

Do what the 'magic lady' says.

Doing as she told me, carefully raising my hands above my head, I can proudly admit that I only flinched a **bit** when she yelled.

"Slower!"

...So, raising my hands at a rate that took about twelve seconds to accomplish, I finally did what she ordered me to do.

"Now, slowly turn around." she ordered. I gave a small sigh.

So, not making the same mistake twice, and also because I thought she was fucking with me, I turned around at a comparable rate as when I put my hands up.

15 seconds later, and we were face-to-face with each other with about 6 feet of distance between us. Wearing my jacket over her tattered dress, with it being zipped up in a way to preserve her modesty, she was making quite the...'unique' fashion statement. With a five foot wide yellow magic circle floating in front of her outstretched hand.

That was glowing.

And spinning.

However, the thing that caught my attention, was how she got frozen in time when a golden screen appeared in front of me.

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 2

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After going through the [Dark Puppet's Temple], you have rescued the lovely and powerful Valkyrie, Rossweisse, from the clutches of the Dark Puppet King! Having taken her back to your Crib, you allowed her the chance to heal! However, she seems to not know this, and is thus suspicious of you and your motives! Now, you must accommodate her properly as a guest in your Crib, whilst also attempting to placate her worries and, hopefully, earn her trust!

 **Difficulty Level:** '2' (Puns Can Be Funny)

 **Objectives:  
** **-Level up your Crib. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Make Breakfast. (COMPLETED)  
** -Be nice to Rossweisse.  
-Do not die to Rossweisse.  
-Talk to '?'.

 **(Optional)  
** _-Compliment Rossweisse (0/10)_

 **Time Limit:** 10 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+2)  
-x2 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-x2 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Rossweisse  
 _-'?'_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
- _No '?'_

 **Accept?**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Mentally 'accepting' the [Quest], since I didn't want to risk Rossweisse seeing my hands suddenly 'poof' down in front of me while she was completely on guard, I looked the girl in the eye as time started back up.

"Well, 'sleeping beauty' has awoken, huh?"

*ssreeeee*

*BANG*

Flinching away slightly from the mother fucking **laser beam** that just passed by the side of my head, I glanced back to see a large burn mark on the wall.

"...you...why..."

Looking back to Rossweisse, I sighed at how real life was a little more complicated than anime. Especially when it came to how subtle blushing could really be.

Normally, it's fairly noticeable in anime, if not blatantly obvious. However, I could only make out an incredibly small tinge of pink on the girl's cheeks, which could honestly just be the color of healthy skin.

"I am in no mood for jokes. Now, you will answer my questions. Who are you? Where am I? Who do you work for? And...how did your wall not get damaged more from my attack?" Rossweisse shot off, being all official with this little situation.

I sighed slightly.

"Well, it wasn't really a joke, but I digress. My name is Douglas. You're in my house in Kuoh, Japan. I don't work for anyone. As for the last part...let's just say I went through hell to get this place. It's quite sturdy." I replied, hearing the sound of paper shuffling from behind me. Rossweisse's eyes glanced over as she seemed surprised by something before looking back to me with a glare that was neither friendly, nor unfriendly.

"Why did I wake up in your house then, **'Douglas'**?"she pressed, obviously worried that I had kidnapped her or something to that effect. I just gave the smallest, most casual shrug I could.

"That depends. Do you remember anything that happened before you fell unconscious?" I asked in return, trying to make sure I didn't give anything about the [Gamer System] away.

Rossweisse's eyebrows scrunched up at my question.

"You...are aware, yes?" she asked with a hesitation in her voice, probably realizing that I wasn't reacting too harshly or disbelievingly at this situation. If I had, she probably would've just erased my memories, had I been a regular human. However, it seems that she is just now realizing that I may, in fact, be aware of the existence of the 'supernatural'.

"Yeah."

"...I remember...facing an army of sentient wooden Puppets. Thousands of them." she started, obviously hesitating on divulging this information to a possible 'enemy'.

...

Though, I do admit that my jaw dropped a bit at what she said.

"..."

"And...then they...there was this cage. They managed to get me inside of it." she continued, shivering slightly. I lowered my arms a little bit and gave her a look of understanding.

"Something about that cage, made you unable to resist? Like, it sealed your powers or something?" I asked, remembering my time in the temple.

To be honest, I'm surprised that Rossweisse hadn't broken herself out with 'Stats' that high. Now, it may have been the [Game] wanting me to have a chance to rescue the 'damsel in distress', but I think that sounds a little...wrong.

That basically means that, not only is **my life** a [Game], it makes everyone else just 'NPCs'.

In other words, nothing really matters.

I don't really like the sound of that, so I proposed another theory on it to Rossweisse, who probably doesn't know anything about the [Gamer System].

"Yes. There were a few of those 'things' that were taller than the rest. They spoke in some ancient language, but I wasn't able to understand. They transported me to a place that looked like a Mayan temple with a large tree on top of it, surrounded by a strange-colored mist. After I entered that building, though, it all just becomes hazy." Rossweisse finished, rubbing her head with her free hand as she kept her circle trained on me just in case.

I smiled slightly.

"Yeah, that's where I found you. I have my own reasons, but I entered that temple looking to grab some stuff. I came across those 'Puppets' you're talking about. The taller one, is their 'King'. I could understand what he was saying, but he had a really stupid way of talking. Anyways, I saw a cage inside this large chamber. It was glowing with a silvery light, kind of like your hair-*Srrreeeee*" I started explaining a watered-down version of my side of the story to her, only to try and compliment her.

However, she responded by charging her magic up even more. Luckily, though, I saw a much more noticeable red on her cheeks.

"Continue, but without the tangents, please." she spoke, obviously intending it to be an order. But, I wasn't going to be deterred, at least when it came to innocent compliments...

...considering I'm not all that good at giving them...

"Okay. With all due respect, chill. I'm not a playboy or anything. Besides, you literally have the equivalent of a cannon pointed at me right now. I just wanted to give you a comparison." I replied, giving her a clear indication of the fact that I wasn't trying to get in her panties at the moment.

Sighing once again, I continued on with my explanation.

"So, I beat the 'King' and got you out of the cage. You were nearly dead when I got to you. I brought you to my place and took care of you so that you'd, I don't know, **live**?" I finished, having an incredulous tone. However, she just raised an eyebrow at me.

"How did you get to that place, anyways?" she asked one of the more difficult questions that I really didn't want her to. I swallowed nervously, though I tried to not show it, as I answered.

"A friend had dropped me off in the area, saying that...what I was looking for was inside." I responded with, what was quite possibly, the **weakest** lie I've ever told in my life.

Barring the time I tried in vain to prank my friends by pretending that I had a super hot female friend from my childhood who I would hang out with quite often.

That was really embarrassing, especially since none of them called me out on it **outright**. It just kinda sits there, in my head, that they're laughing at me like, "Yeah, he did that incredibly sad and pathetic thing that most awkward teenage males do.".

"What is this **friend's** name?" Rossweisse pressed, sounding like she didn't believe me. Luckily for me, I had a friend that I had just reconnected with earlier this morning!

"Cameron. Brown hair, likes the color green." I replied, even listing off some characteristics to sell the idea to her. She hummed slightly as she continued to glare at me.

"Why save me?" she asked, letting her magic circle 'rev up' a little in order to try and intimidate me. I just shrugged slightly.

"Why not? Or rather, why wouldn't I?" I replied, shooting down her suspicions on the fact that I basically accused her of making assumptions on her own. Her gaze narrowed as she seemed to not like my answer.

But, after a short breath, she seemed to relax slightly.

"Maybe so. What do you intend to do now? I assure you, if you're looking for a fight or for...'that', I'm more than capable of obliterating you."

"I'm well aware of that, lady. What with your 'magic cannon' pointed right at me and all. I don't wanna fight. As for 'that'...no. I may not be popular with the ladies, but rape is more than a little bit out of my 'comfort zone'. You may be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but I'd like to not be either behind bars...or dead. Your 'magic cannon' is more than enough proof concerning what would happen to me if I even **tried** to do that." I replied easily, though the little compliment just kind of slipped out. I immediately thought that I had stepped a bit out of bounds with that, but I just saw her blush bright red, even as she tried to keep a stern glare fixed on me.

"M-Most...!?" she stammered under her breath while looking at me, her shock clearly visible. I sighed slightly, feeling the awkwardness of the situation as well.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make it weird. It just...slipped." I responded, shrugging.

Wow, does Rossweisse have **literally zero experience** even with compliments like that?

But, more than that...

"How did you come to know of the supernatural?" she asked, trying to reassert her authority in this conversation/interrogation.

"My friend." I answered quickly. She knit her eyebrows together in frustration.

"...What is today's date?"

"August 13."

...

"...Time?"

"9:55 AM."

"...Are you not afraid right now?" she finally asked, seemingly perplexed at my response to being threatened with an overwhelmingly strong spell pointed right in my face with a pretty girl interrogating me for any and all answers under the sun.

"Honestly, the thing that I want the most at the moment is for you to stop with your magic. I get that you're suspicious of me and my motives, along with a lot of other stuff. Believe me, I understand **completely**. However, the truth is that I saved your life, brought you to my house, and nursed you back to health. Now, I don't want to sound rude or anything, but I'd rather not continue talking to you if you keep threatening me like this." I replied, giving her a deadpan stare as I gestured towards her spell.

For a moment, I could actually see the wheels turning in her head, trying to deduce for herself if what I was saying was true or not.

However, after about thirty seconds or so, the magic circle in front of her hand disappeared and she lowered her arms in a **slightly** relaxed posture.

Seeing that the situation was diffused for the moment, I smiled.

"You hungry?"

* * *

 **3 Minutes Later**

I just sat in one of the chairs in the living room and watched as Rossweisse shoveled the 'steak and cheese omelette' into her mouth rapidly, forgoing all pretenses of manners and whatnot.

I guess Puppets don't feed you much when you're their prisoner for who knows how long.

However, the sight of a pretty girl stuffing her face with my cooking was not only slightly embarrassing...

...it also made me feel a little proud.

Deciding to not just sit here and watch her eat, I started eating with nearly as much gusto as she did.

Within the next few minutes, we both sat there, sipping on our sweet tea as the food settled in our tummies.

"T-Thank you for the food. I...I-I apologize for earlier as well." spoke the embarrassed Valkyrie sitting across from me. I just waved her off.

"Nah, don't worry about it. You woke up in a stranger's house. However, I'm a bit surprised that you trusted my story so easily. Normally, when I tell girls that I rescued them from an ancient Mayan temple overrun by animated wooden Puppets...well, I think you can understand the poor reviews I'm bound to get." I replied, taking another drink. Rossweisse just stared at me for a bit before sighing.

"Yes. The story wasn't all that good. But, I know what I saw and...though it's hazy, I do remember someone carrying me and being quite frantic with how they ran to and fro...you're blushing." Rossweisse recounted, giving the briefest of smiles over her 'hazy memory', only to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

Hearing that from her...is quite embarrassing. Even I could feel how hot my cheeks were.

"W-Well, the temple was collapsing, there wasn't a whole lot of time, you were unconscious (at least, I **thought** you were), every exit kept being blocked off by debris, I panicked a little and...uh...um..." I tried to explain, only for her to cough slightly with red cheeks.

"Y-Yes, quite. I am, quite thankful for your assistance. Even if you are lying to me, the fact remains that I am free and healthy...unless you..." she replied, sounding genuine, until she gave me a glare filled with suspicion and doubt. I waved her off.

"Like I said before, I'm not comfortable with the idea of rape. I don't have particularly strong feelings **against it** , but I'm not so desperate to 'get some', as it were, that I'd resort to simply forcing a girl to have sex with me. Not to mention, that it would be quite a huge risk to do that to you, considering you're completely superior to me as a fighter." I admitted without an ounce of shame. Rossweisse seemed to be a little shocked that I said the **s-word** so easily, but smiled at the fact that it didn't seem like I was going to make such a stupid mistake.

Not that she wouldn't be worth it or anything...

Seriously, even under my jacket, her chest is well on its way to bein...

No. No no no no no no no. Not dying yet.

"By the way, what with all the hub-ub earlier, you never told me **your** name." I replied, giving her a friendly smile. She sighed, shrugging.

"That is true. My name is Rossweisse." she replied, sitting very formally in the chair she was on. I just cocked an eyebrow to try and look surprised.

"Ross...weisse? Norwegian, or somewhere around there?" I asked the girl, who nodded and seemed a little surprised that I knew that. I just scratched at my chin.

"Rossweisse, huh? I'm not super great with European languages, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it means 'White Rose'. Is tha...wow. First time I've seen a silver-haired girl blush that hard." I commented, before being treated to the sight of Rossweisse blushing mighty hard while looking away from me.

"Y-Yes, t-that is an excellent deduction, Mr. Douglas." she said, though I don't know why she felt the need to add the 'Mr.'.

"Uh...thanks? Anyways, you're in a 'foreign country', right? Do you need some help getting back home?" I asked, trying to direct her attention away from the awkward topics. Rossweisse seemed to perk up slightly at the mention of home before slumping.

"Oh, Granny must be so worried. Do you mind if I go call her real quick?" Rossweisse asked, already standing up. I just raised an eyebrow at her.

"There's no phone in this house." I informed her. She just gave a small smirk.

"Hm Hm~."

Do I detect smugness in her chuckle? I think I do.

"You must not have much experience with the supernatural. Don't worry. I won't need a 'phone'. Thanks for the consideration, though." she waved me off. For some reason, the air she gave off just now kinda pissed me off a little.

Like an older sister mocking her little brother for being 'too young to understand'.

Rossweisse walked over to the 'bedroom' that was more like the 'guest room' and closed the door. I heard some murmurings going on behind the door, but I didn't feel like having my body turn into a burn mark on the wall, so I did what all single men know how to do.

Mind my own damn business.

Speaking of burn marks on the wall, I stood up and walked into the kitchen to find the mark that Rossweisse had made when I first complimented her was nowhere to be seen. I guess that noise I heard soon after she struck the wall with her magic was nothing more than the wall repairing itself.

Having nothing better to do, I decided to simply sit back down in my chair in the living room and take a moment to relish the peace and quiet.

It's been...a hell of a day.

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 13, 2014 **(Canon Start: 971 days)  
** **Time:** 10:00:02 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 45  
 **EXP** : 91,793/167,471  
 **HP:** 840/840 (+190.9 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 840/840 (+191.4 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **200** (180+0+0+0) **(+20)**  
 **END:** 159 (114+45+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 150 (150+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 200 (200+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 159 (114+45+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 92 (1+90+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Well, that was...awkward. I didn't think it would be that hard to write such a conversation.**

 **Now, there are legitimate reasons for why Rossweisse trusted Douglas so easily, or rather...without much difficulty.**

 **Plus, even though she's a trained warrior demi-god, she's shown to have _zero experience_ when it comes to men. Having one compliment her so many times, if my logic is right, would show 'some' results that one wouldn't normally expect from a teenage girl.**

 **Now, onto my own personal beef with romance fics. I don't like how they're all "you saved me, let's have sex!" kind of deals. I've never been in a relationship before, but I've been around enough of them to tell that it takes a _little_** **more of a personal bond, along with genuine understanding before you can actually call it 'love'.**

 **That being said, I've had Rossweisse down as the main partner for Roland ever since the fic first started. However! If you came to read a mushy gushy romance story between a Valkyrie and a Human, you're gonna be waiting for quite a while should you expect anything from my story.**

 **Now, this is a 'rough guess', but I'd say that any kind of 'genuine romance' between Roland and Rossweisse will take at least 15+ chapters to get to, simply because they both lack a whole lot of experience when it comes to dating and relationships. However, that also makes it a lot easier to just jump right into it.**

 **I want to get to the start of canon around chapters 30 to 40. I know that will take a while, but I've had so many ideas for this story that I really want to write. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure to include a lot of the well-known cast so you can still get the DXD-feel from the story.**

 **Thanks for reading everybody~!**

 **PS: For the last time, yes! I know the conversation between Rossweisse and Roland is weird and awkward! It's supposed to be! That, and I couldn't figure out how to write it any other way!**

* * *

 **Things I will be doing, so keep an eye out!**

 **1\. I shall post another story that will be made up of Roland's Status Screen, all of his Skills and Magic as well as his Inventory, so you can see his progression! However, I probably won't post updates for it unless there are actual changes.**

 **2\. I'll post another story that will have the 'Extra stories' about Douglas Roland and his adventures, and probably even some adventures of Cameron Phillips. That, or just some 'omake stuff'.**


	9. Chapter 8 - An Oddly Normal Week (Pt 1)

**So, here's half of Chapter 8!**

 **Warning: Do not expect a whole hell of a lot from this chapter.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than my OC(s), original plot lines and ideas. If anything seems ripped off from something else, then whoever came up with it 'first' can have it. I'm just writing a story here, I don't want any trouble.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: An...Oddly Normal Week...**

* * *

 **11:15 AM – 1 Hour Later...**

 **Kuoh, Japan – Discount Store**

"You're sure that you want to shop here?" I asked the silver-haired girl next to me. Looking over, I could only see her blue eyes shimmering with delight at the sight in front of us.

I know the novels really threw it out there, but Rossweisse really **does** love discount stores. I like them too, but not with such...religious devotion as this girl.

"But of course! It's important to save money wherever you can, which means discount stores are **far** more important than any other establishments in all of existence~! Oh, I remember my first time in one, all the way in London! I took a-...You know, that doesn't matter! Let's go!" she replied before starting to go off into a memory. However, before she went into detail, she just stopped herself and turned her head away from me before shrugging it off.

Grabbing my arm and squeezing (OW!), she tugged me into the store without any kind of delay. I followed along, primarily due to the fact that I didn't have a choice.

Her STR 'Stat' is considerably superior to my own.

Entering the store, which happened to be the same one I entered yesterday during my little 'touring spree', I noticed that there were other people in the store this time. A few customers were browsing through the collection of cheap stuff, whilst the cashier was lazily reading a magazine behind the counter.

Using [Observe] on the cashier, I was greeted with **another** human's rather pitiful 'Stats'.

 **(((Note: Despite watching a crap load of anime, I'm not good with coming up with random Japanese names right off the top of my head. Also, this guy's name doesn't matter in the slightest, so yeah...)**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Sakaki Kondou  
 **Age:** 22  
 **Birthday:** March 14  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Affiliation:** Akira's 100-Yen Shop

 **LVL:** 8  
 **HP:** 121/121  
 **MP:** 52/52

 **STR:** 26  
 **END:** 25  
 **AGI:** 29  
 **INT:** 32  
 **MAG:** 5  
 **LUK:** 22

* * *

Yep, that seems to fall in line with a lot of other humans.

I noticed that, from about a few dozen uses of [Observe], a lot of humans rarely have a single 'Stat' above 50. The ones that do, are probably the really hard workers or those who train those 'Stats' explicitly. There was this one really buff dude that Rossweisse and I passed whilst we were walking to this store that had a STR 'Stat' that was at 102.

This guy, though, is obviously one that hasn't put a whole lot of work into either his body or his mind. I've seen children with higher INT 'Stats' than him.

Well, that's assuming that INT indicates a regular person's general level of intelligence. However, I doubt that intelligence can be measured in a quantitative way whilst still being accurate. There are just too many factors involved for any form of testing to be able to evaluate accurately and fairly.

But, I digress...

To be honest, the only reason I'm even bothering with doing this is to see where I stand compared to humans. After getting a general idea of their 'Stats', I can easily proclaim that I have surpassed humanity, if only slightly.

However, the real problem at the moment, are the Devils. Especially since Cameron has already left, and I'm already going against his advice by leaving my 'seige-proof' house. However, after looking at Rossweisse wearing a tattered dress with my jacket being the only thing preserving her modesty as a girl...

...along with the idea that she'd be suspicious at me for both having a set of female clothing, and that I got it from nowhere in particular (*cough* Store *cough*)...

...combined with the fact that I didn't even know what size clothes would fit her...

Well, I decided that, all things considered, it wouldn't hurt for us to step out **for a bit** in order to get her some clothes. I had thought ahead, though, and bought a matching set of baggy t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops in order to let her have something a little more **decent** to wear when we went out shopping.

I even got her a belt, simply because my size of pants kept slipping too low on her for her comfort.

So, as a pair of teenagers show up in a discount store, wearing the same outfit and with the girl tugging on the boy's arm, one can only imagine what this must look like...

"Ufufu, young love, huh~..."

"They're certainly cute together~..."

A pair of older women looked at us with some teasing grins. I just shrugged at them.

It wasn't a date, so I didn't need to feel embarrassed. I don't know how Rossweisse felt about it, but the fact that she acted like she didn't even hear the old ladies seemed to indicate that she wasn't even paying attention to them.

At that point, I had pried Rossweisse's hand from my arm and told her to go pick out a couple of outfits and that I would wait for her at the counter.

She went off almost merrily, zipping over to the clothes section like a predator about to snatch up its prey.

Looking over at the old ladies, I saw that they looked disappointed and a little miffed at me. I just smirked and shrugged.

Why the hell should I have to go along with their delusional fantasies?

Making sure to stay out of the way of any customers, I stood by the end of the cashier's counter and waited.

...

Not even two and a half minutes later, Rossweisse was coming up to the counter with a few pairs of clothes in her arms, consisting of a pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a blue jersey, and a pair of slightly less baggy blue jeans.

Going up to the cashier, we watched as he rung everything up for a grand total of 2,350 Yen.

Sheesh, I probably could have saved 500 Yen if I shopped at the 'Store'!

Having him bag up everything, I paid him and picked up the bag before we left the discount store.

At that point, I turned to Rossweisse.

"Hey, mind if we stop by the market? I just moved in recently, so there's not a lot of food at the house."

"Sure."

So, turning down another street and following some signs, we came to a pretty large food market that was just bustling with activity.

As we walked around to the different areas and purchased various foods, I decided to try and start some casual conversation.

"So, it's supposed to be around a week until your grandmother gets here?" I asked while looking over the pears, since I really like them and they make a great afternoon snack. Rossweisse nodded.

"Yes. Transportation isn't easy, even for people like us. Especially between different continents. We can't just get on an airplane and fly wherever we want in a day. We have to go through a bunch of channels and get permission to cross through the territory. Plus, Granny is a really busy person. Though...with all that happened, I can imagine that even she would shirk off her work to come here early." Rossweisse explained, though she looked a little happy at the last bit. I guess (even though I know from the novels), that she really loves her 'Granny'.

I wonder...if any god-like omniscient beings are out there, can they give me an easy explanation as to how **Göndul** is pronounced? I'm fairly certain that 'Gone Dull' isn't correct.

"That's why...um...could I...please stay with you until they come?" Rossweisse asked, not seeming embarrassed, but definitely hesitant on asking for someone to house her like this. I grinned.

"You like pears?" I asked, holding up one of the fruit to show it to her. Rossweisse seemed a bit confused as she nodded.

"Yes. I'm pretty much okay with most fruit." she replied. I nodded.

"My thoughts exactly." I spoke, paying for a small bag of pears and walking away. Rossweisse, probably from not expecting my answer like that, followed me after a moment.

"W-Wait, what abou-I don't particularly mind." I cut her off, moving onto the next and most important area of the food market.

The meats.

"I don't understand. Not very many people would accept a stranger living in their home, even if its just for a few days." Rossweisse countered, seeming to just be a bit confused as to how easily I accepted. I shrugged.

"True. But, so long as you don't point the equivalent of a cannon at my face anymore, I don't mind. Also...uh...well, I'll have to do some...stuff for a while, so if I disappear for three or four hours at a time, then could you just ignore that." I reasoned, though I also tried to discreetly get her to accept my 'unexplained absences' if I just go 'poof' into thin air.

Even though I'll do my best to **not** do that in front of her, it never hurts to get some reassurance.

Looking to my right, I saw Rossweisse staring at me with a single dainty eyebrow raised.

"Some stuff, that takes four hours to do. And you'll be doing those things a lot?" she asked, sounding like I would be doing something suspicious. Leaning over to her, in order to convey a sense of privacy, I murmered to her.

"I'll be training, okay. I'm fairly new to this world, and there are Devils in this town. They already know I'm here, and have even tried to kidnap me. I need to get stronger so that I can fend them off, should push come to shove." I explained to her, doing my best to make sure that other people weren't trying to listen in on my little explanation. Rossweisse sighed and nodded.

"Fair enough. Though, if we really are in Kuoh...that means this is Gremory and Sitri territory. They're pretty well-known Clans that don't typically use such...underhanded tactics. Especially with humans." Rossweisse countered, also making sure that other people were ignoring her, though she probably had a 'magic trick' to do that.

Turning to face me directly, she just smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I doubt they want to do anything too drastic when it comes to you. They're probably just curious as to why you're in their territory, and why you're avoiding them." she reasoned. I sighed in response.

"I'm avoiding them because I just want to mind my own business. Not to mention, the idea of slavery kind of rubs me the wrong way. I don't care how much the Gremory profess to 'love their servants like family', at the end of the day, the slaves don't have any legal rights or free will of their own. Sitri...well, I don't know a whole lot about them, other than that they spawned Serafall. And with her being who she is..." I shot back, pretty much whining because I felt like they wouldn't leave me alone until one of two things happened.

* * *

 **1.** I die.

 **2.** I become a member of their Peerage.

* * *

In any case, as we continue to shop for food, I couldn't help but feel some kind of awkwardness in the air. I usually only felt this in high school when other people would look at me and gossip. It didn't happen often, but I know what it felt like.

I think we're being watched.

Turning my head quickly to the left, I barely manage to spot, amongst all the dark-haired Japanese people, a small head of white hair. However, shortly after spotting it, the person with the white hair quickly moved out of my line of sight.

The scared little kitten, huh?

Well...objectively speaking, we should probably stick to crowded places as much as possible. After all, the Devils can't reveal the existence of the supernatural to the regular humans. But, should that not work, then I'll pretty much have to rely completely on Rossweisse to save my ass.

But, with how passive she seems to be when it comes to the Devils, she might not do anything at all. Especially considering that, even if I saved her life, she could get housing from the Devils quite easily. I don't really have any kind of value that would convince her to help me, except out of the kindness of her heart.

She's a good person, but she's also much more involved in supernatural politics than I am.

The only other option would be to create an 'Empty ID'. Rossweisse can take care of herself far better than I could. I would just slip back to my house like that and be home free!

After another 10 minutes or so, and after dumping 5,500 Yen down the drain, I finish with my grocery shopping, whilst also talking with Rossweisse about some of her preferences concerning food. If only so that I won't be making something she hates over the course of the next few days.

She doesn't like seafood...huh...

...neither do I. I hate it, actually.

Seriously, the first time I had crab, I nearly puked all over the table at the restaurant. At that point, my parents knew that it wouldn't be an enjoyable dinner, so we got out of that resaurant and went to a steakhouse instead.

Despite being on 'high alert' as we walked back to my house, the Devils didn't seem to be making any moves in order to approach either myself or Rossweisse. I can't really think of any reason they'd do this, unless they are either afraid of us, or they've already been told about us.

I mean, Cameron apparently brought Akeno back to Rias last night after he knocked her out cold, so maybe he had spoken with the Devils and convinced them to leave me alone at the very least.

But, regardless of why they didn't approach me, I could only feel a little thankful that I wouldn't have to deal with them yet. After all, I'm still nowhere near strong enough to fight against even a single one of them.

I'm almost thinking of shirking my training as far as my abilities go, sleep in my bed for a bit and then go in for some hardcore 'EXP grinding'.

I wonder how fast I'd level up if I did that for 12 hours straight...

Either that, or I could upgrade my 'Crib' again, and purchase a better bed. I had checked earlier and found that I can sell any of the things I bought from the 'Crib Store' in order to get my 'Tokens' back.

That's really nice. Basically, I'd be able to keep on getting better and better furniture, rooms, appliances and shit from the 'Crib Store' without having to worry about a shortage of 'Tokens'.

Yeah...I think I'll just do that. I should probably do that now, actually...

So, as we were walking down the sidewalk, I pulled up my 'Crib Screen'.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland's Crib-  
** **-Residents: Douglas Roland  
** **-Location: Kuoh, Japan  
** **-Allow Guests: Friends Only**

 **-Crib LVL: 2  
** **+Upgrade Crib – Costs 100,000 Yen. Gain 10 'Crib Store Tokens'.  
** **+Renovation Mode  
** **+Crib Options**

* * *

Upgrading my 'Crib', since I did 'non-stop grinding' for over five hours straight and have enough money to do so, I got 10 more 'Tokens'.

Going into the 'Crib Store', I went ahead and started shopping...

* * *

 **5 Minutes Later...**

"I'm fairly certain that this TV wasn't here when we left."

"Fairly certain, you say? I'm looking at a TV right now, and if it wasn't there when we left, then that means that either somebody put it there while we were gone...or...you just didn't notice."

"...hm...possibly. I'm still suspicious of you."

"Good job."

This was approximately the type of banter that Rossweisse and I engaged in upon our return to find a (surprise, surprise!) 36-inch flat-screen TV in the living room, situated against the wall the divided the living room and the kitchen. It was in a pretty decent spot for people who are sitting in the chairs to simply turn their seats slightly and relax with some mind-numbing television.

Turns out, that when a [Gamer] buys a TV, they automatically get basic cable as well, which is sweet!

For a higher-level 'Crib', though...you can basically have an entire movie theater in your house with near instant access to On-Demand 'anything'.

[Gamers] have it good~~!

Despite simply wanting a better bed for gaining EXP, I couldn't resist getting some kind of TV. I would be a pretty poor host if I simply left Rossweisse here alone with nearly nothing to do.

I also bought a small bookshelf, which I put into her room. I even bought a few cheap novels from the regular 'Store', mostly centered around the 'fiction'-genre. Just in case she likes to read.

I do. I read lots. Much words.

I smart.

Anyways, along with those basic amenities, which make life just a bit funner and easier to live, I also switched some stuff up and changed the room that Rossweisse was staying in into the 'guest room' and giving myself a much better bedroom. Other than that, I bought a better shower for the bathroom and a refridgerator/freezer for the groceries I bought at the market.

On top of all of that, I also bought a new bed using the 'Token' I got back from selling my 'new' bed.

* * *

 **+Enchanted Full-Size Bed**

 **-Type: Sleeping Furniture  
** **-Level: 3  
** **-Comfort Level: 1/10 (Horrible)  
** **-Enchantment Slots: 2/2  
**

 **-Enchantment Types-  
** **+2 Amateur EXP Plus Enchantments (2x EXP for 12 hours after waking)**

* * *

It's not a 'hell of a lot better' than my old one, but this one will provide just a bit more of a bonus when it comes to 'grinding'.

And, that's all I bought. I wanted to get some more rooms for the house, but I felt like that would be too drastic of a change, especially since Rossweisse is living with me for the time being.

She was perceptive enough to notice the new TV I got...

...best not to push my luck too far...

Handing Rossweisse's clothing bag to her, I took the groceries into the kitchen and started putting them away.

All in all, this was a pretty successfu-*knock* *knock* *knock*

...

...who in the hell?

"Hm?" Rossweisse hummed as she stuck her head out of the guest room's door just as she was about to close it. She just turned to me with a questioning face as I sighed and started heading over to the front door in order to see who it was.

Please, please, please! Let this **not** be the Devils!

Opening up the door, I could honestly say that I was at least a little surprised.

"Hello. My name is Rias Gremory and these are my friends. Mind if we have a word or two with you?"

...

...

"Hah..." I sighed, not even hiding how annoyed I felt at seeing that, not only was there a crimson-haired bombshell standing outside my front door, but her 'entire' Peerage was standing slightly behind her, all of them being dressed in casual outfits that one would usually see females wear...

Akeno Himejima, who seems to not be unconscious anymore.

Yumi Kiba, who was smiling elegantly at me like some kind of princess.

And, Koneko Toujou, who was staring at me like her 'canon deadpanning self'.

Last, and certainly least in my opinion, was the girl standing directly in front of me with an incredibly confident and lax smile on her face, as if she fucking owned everything she laid eyes on.

Taking about a few seconds to stand there and just stare at her, because I could, I went ahead and used [Observe] on her and Koneko, along with glancing at Akeno and Yumi again, in order to get a firm grasp on how good I'm gonna need to be in order to not be pushed around by these girls.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Rias Gremory  
 **Age:** 16  
 **Birthday:** April 9  
 **Race:** Pure-Blooded Devil  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Gremory Clan, Rias Gremory's Peerage

 **LVL:** 28  
 **HP:** 2,262/2,262  
 **MP:** 9,692/9,692

 **STR:** 686  
 **END:** 842  
 **AGI:** 725  
 **INT:** 3,178  
 **MAG:** 7,840  
 **LUK:** 3,155

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Akeno Himejima  
 **Age:** 16  
 **Birthday:** July 21  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Human/Fallen Angel  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Queen]

 **LVL:** 30  
 **HP:** 3,294/3,294  
 **MP:** 5,974/5,974

 **STR:** 974  
 **END:** 1,306  
 **AGI:** 1,191  
 **INT:** 5,267  
 **MAG:** 4,975  
 **LUK:** 1,853

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Yumi Kiba  
 **Age:** 15  
 **Birthday:** May 30  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Human  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Knight]

 **+Sacred Gear – [Blade Blacksmith]:** Click for details...

 **LVL:** 22  
 **HP:** 1,216/1,216  
 **MP:** 1,836/1,836

 **STR:** 916  
 **END:** 596  
 **AGI:** 2,443  
 **INT:** 2,372  
 **MAG:** 1,340  
 **LUK:** 1,889

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Koneko Toujou (Shirone)  
 **Age:** 14  
 **Birthday:** November 23  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Nekoshou  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Rook]

 **LVL:** 21  
 **HP:** 2,678/2,678  
 **MP:** 910/910  
 **KI (DXD):** _Sealed_

 **STR:** 2,186  
 **END:** 2,071  
 **AGI:** 874  
 **INT:** 2,121  
 **MAG:** 698  
 **LUK:** 845

* * *

 **(((In response to any and all flamers: Yes! YES~! LET THE FLAMES BLOW HIGHER~!)))**

 **(((Note: There will be an explanation at the end of the chapter.)))**

 **(((Note: Remember that Rias and her gang are pretty pathetic compared to the rest of the DXD universe right now.)))**

I intentionally blinked a few times before raising an eyebrow.

Out of all of them, Akeno is by far the biggest threat in my eyes...

But, I'll have time to worry about this stuff later.

"Okay then. What do you want?" I asked in response. She seemed to try and take a step forward, only to hit some kind of invisible barrier.

It was at that moment, a pink screen appeared in front of me and all the people both outside the house and inside the house got frozen in time.

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Rias Gremory' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes  
**

 **+No**

* * *

Mentally clicking 'no', I was treated to the sight of Rias's eyes narrowing as she realized she couldn't simply enter my house like she owned it. She just looked at me, though she kept her confident smile.

"Aren't you going to let us in?" she asked expectantly, probably trying to play on my 'morals' and 'manners'.

"No." I replied instantly, crossing my arms in order to enunciate my position.

Cameron told me that I'd be safe inside this house. I took a huge risk by going out to take Rossweisse shopping, but I'm not going to recklessly allow potential 'enemies' inside of my house. Rossweisse was an exception, simply because she was both unconscious...and I was fairly positive she wouldn't kill me without letting me explain myself.

I was right in the end, though she did **threaten** me a bit...

However, Rias and her group are 'not my friends', so I will not sacrifice my only safe haven on the grounds of 'politeness'.

I took a little bit of delight in how all of their expressions seemed a little surprised that I would refuse to let them inside, probably thinking that I was aware that each of them could kill me quite easily.

Rias, though, seemed to be stuck between being amused by my defiance, and feeling insulted by my defiance.

After all, she's a Pure-Blooded High-Class Noble Devil. I'm just a human. I should bow down and kiss her ass just to save my own, right?

"No?" she parroted in a curious tone. Bringing up her arms to rest on her hips, she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, 'no'. 'N' to the 'O'. It means you're not coming inside my house. Now, what do you want?" I replied, giving her a very clear understanding that I wouldn't be cooperating with her like she obviously intended for me to.

"Ufufu, oh, don't be like that~. We only wish to talk." Akeno piped up from beside Rias, probably hoping to 'placate me'. In other words, she thought that she actually had a chance to persuade me to let them inside my house when **she** was the one who basically threatened to physically harm me last night.

Rossweisse did it out of reaction and uncertainty. Akeno did it because she wanted to.

"You had your chance to 'talk' with me last night. That ship has sailed." I responded, not even bothering to look at her.

As for what I said, though, it seems that Rias took it as quite a terrible insult.

"Do not speak to m-I'm sorry, was I speaking to you?" I loudly cut Rias off before she could do her little schtick.

"Mr. Douglas, is it? We realize that you simply wish to be left alone, but you must understand that our Master is the owner of this territory. It's her job to verify who you are and what your intentions for being in her territory might be." Yumi spoke up, obviously seeing that things were already not going as her 'Master' had planned.

To be honest, it feels kind of nice, knowing that they can't touch me right now. However, I'll need to hurry up and get stronger so that they can't push me around should I want to leave my house.

"I don't **have** any intentions for being here. This is my house. I live here. End of story." I replied to the blonde-haired girl.

"...Is that so?" Rias haughtily said, as if mocking my answer for being 'such a poor lie that I am amazed you even said it out loud'.

"Yeah, that **is** so." I responded promptly.

"Mr. Douglas, what's going on?" came a voice from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Rossweisse standing there, still wearing the t-shirt and jeans I loaned her. She was staring at me with a quizzical expression as her gaze shifted to the red-head standing in front of me.

"It seems the Devils came to this house, expecting to...'talk', with me." I replied, turning back to look at Rias who was keeping an eye on the Valkyrie behind me.

"Who is she?" Rias pretty much demanded. The silver-haired girl in question came up beside me.

"My name is Rossweisse. I hail from Asgard. I was forced to come into this territory by accident. My grandmother is coming to get me, but it will be a few days until she gets here. I have no intention of causing any trouble." Rossweisse clearly stated. Rias looked her up and down before smiling again.

"I see. I've already been informed, so I understand your situation, but your...housemate is another story." Rias replied, causing my jaw to drop slightly. I pretty much glared at her at that point.

"Oh?" I mumbled like I actually cared. Rias lost her smile at that, glancing at Akeno briefly.

Taking a small moment to make up her mind, I guess Rias decided that she'd **have** to share info before she could get any.

"There was a brown-haired teenage male who attacked my friend, Akeno, here just last night. From what she told me, you were there as well. Considering you're still alive, and that you were carrying Ms. Rossweisse here in a very... **tender** way-*ssrreeeee*." Rias explained, before I heard a familiar sound of magic charging up behind me. I sighed.

"It was either that, or piggy-back. Besides, I didn't do anything weird with you." I told Rossweisse, who was powering up her 'magic cannon' once again.

After a moment, Rossweisse relaxed again and let her magic circle fade from existence, though she took a step away from me for good measure of **something**...

"*cough*-As I was saying...considering that you're still alive and were there at the time it happened, I can only assume that you're affiliated with the man that attacked my precious servant." Rias finished, deducing everything quite accurately, though she seemed to jump to a rather extreme conclusion due to those facts.

I sighed again, knowing I should at least explain about what happened last night.

"He didn't mean any harm. At least, I think he didn't. He was just protecting me, considering your [Queen] had threatened to...actually, she was basically asking for me to resist her so that she could use physical force to capture me and bring me to you for an 'interrogation'. He knocked her out, as clean as possible and without excessive force, in order to protect me." I explained, leaning against the door in a much more casual stance. Everyone present listened to my words quite intently, especially Rias, Akeno and Rossweisse...

"Mr. Douglas, we can certainly understand that you believe that your affiliate meant no harm...however...for a human to defeat a Devil with such ease is nearly unheard of. Where can we find him?" Yumi responded cleanly. I had to admire the fact that she has the gall to keep acting like the 'voice of reason' for the group. Really, she's just calmly asking her questions and giving a false pretense of 'politeness' to make you think she's harmless.

But, you can't go through high school in my old world without learning how to tell the 'truth' from the 'pretty lies'.

Even if she hasn't lied, she certainly gives a misleading atmosphere by making you think that she's just innocently curious. If I were to tell her where they can find Cameron, they'd probably commence a man-hunt on him.

Though, I did take a bit of satisfaction in hearing a Devil sound shocked that a human could defeat them so easily. I know that I'm not capable of it yet, but knowing the guy who is feels pretty damn good.

"I dunno. France?" I responded, telling the truth in that I didn't actually know where he was at the moment.

I suppose that they don't believe me, though. Based on the looks that I'm receiving.

"How can you not know? You're affiliated with him, are you not?" Rias pressed, obviously wanting more information. I sighed a bit.

"Even if I did, do you expect me to rat out my friend?" I replied as if it was obvious what my intentions were regarding this subject.

Rias...obviously didn't take to that so well.

"He harmed my servant! My family! Tell me where he is this instant!" she resorted to raising her voice at me.

...big mistake.

*SLAM*

I slammed the door right then and there, effectively ending the conversation...and probably making things take a turn for the worse.

Within a split second of slamming the door in Rias's face, a golden screen popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 2

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After going through the [Dark Puppet's Temple], you have rescued the lovely and powerful Valkyrie, Rossweisse, from the clutches of the Dark Puppet King! Having taken her back to your Crib, you allowed her the chance to heal! However, she seems to not know this, and is thus suspicious of you and your motives! Now, you must accommodate her properly as a guest in your Crib, whilst also attempting to placate her worries and, hopefully, earn her trust!

 **Difficulty Level:** '2' (Puns Can Be Funny)

 **Objectives:  
** **-Level up your Crib. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Make Breakfast. (COMPLETED)  
** -Be nice to Rossweisse.  
-Do not die to Rossweisse.  
 **-Talk to 'Rias Gremory'. (COMPLETED)**

 **(Optional)  
** _-Compliment Rossweisse (3/10)_

 **Time Remaining:** 10 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+2)  
-x2 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-x2 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Rossweisse  
 _-'?'_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

After checking how many times I 'complimented Rossweisse', I closed out the screen, thus returning time back to normal for the frozen silver-haired girl to my left.

Looking over, I saw Rossweisse with a surprised expression.

"To be honest, I'm shocked that I didn't do that sooner. No man should ever have to stand for a woman raising her voice at him. Vice versa, too. If she wants to stand outside my house and scream her lungs out, then so be it. I'll just ignore her." I explained, before walking back into the kitchen to start putting things away. Rossweisse soon followed, seemingly concerned about something.

"Your friend, Cameron, hurt that black-haired girl?" she asked, hesitating with the wording. I nodded.

"A little. Like I said, he just knocked her out without resorting to brutal measures. If I know him, he also wouldn't do something as meaningless as beat up an unconscious teenage girl just to send a message. Knocking her out would've been good enough to deter the Devils...or, at least, it **should have** been." I replied. Rossweisse nodded after a moment of consideration, probably also seeing that using excessive force would've just provoked the Devils into going after me in spite.

"Perhaps. But, I hope you realize that being so rude to them is just going to provoke them anyways. You're honestly the first human I've ever met that is so... **casual** when it comes to the supernatural. What you just did, was something that not even some of the warriors who reside in Valhalla would think to do." Rossweisse reasoned, before giving what sounded like a compliment to me.

However, I was easily able to understand what she **really** meant.

 _-You are crazy and reckless for having slammed the door in the face of a Pure-Blooded Devil. Especially if they're the legal owners of the territory you're standing on.-_

T'was not a compliment, it was both an insult...and a warning.

Within a moment, I heard someone harshly pounding on my door.

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Koneko Toujou' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes  
**

 **+No**

* * *

"I think she's trying to have her [Rook] break down my door." I explained after rejecting the offer on the screen without even a second thought. Rossweisse just nodded.

"My point exactly. Though, despite the enhanced strength of her [Rook], your door seems to be holding up just fine..." she agreed, though trailed off in suspicion at the door. I just grinned.

"This place is sturdy, remember? Actually...strike that 'sturdy', and replace it with 'seige-proof'~!" I replied cheekily. Rossweisse just sighed before smiling and shaking her head in exasperation.

"Maybe. But, you'll have to leave sometime or another. You can't stay inside your 'seige-proof' house forever." she reasoned. I grinned at her.

"I won't need to." I responded vaguely, before going about with putting the groceries away after that little. Rossweisse seemed a little perplexed at what I said, before shrugging and going back to the guest room where her clothes were probably at.

Having the same pink screen pop up on me again, detailing that one of them wishes to enter my house, I sighed and opened up my 'Crib Screen'.

Under 'Crib Options', I managed to find a setting that can 'black-list' people from my house. Putting down Rias and her gang of goons into that 'list', I suddenly stopped hearing any noises from the door.

* * *

 **-'Rias Gremory' has been banned from your Crib!-  
** **-'Akeno Himejima' has been banned from your Crib!-  
** **-'Yumi Kiba' has been banned from your Crib!-  
** **-'Koneko Toujou' has been banned from your Crib!-**

* * *

"Heh." I let out a single chuckling sound.

I love my house~!

Putting away the groceries quickly, I turned my head slightly to see Rossweisse standing in the entrance to the kitchen with a curious expression on her face.

"The Devils...they apparently stopped?" she asked as if verifying something. I just smirked slightly.

"Probably. After all, I'm nothing but a lowly piece of human scum. They might have figured out that there are far more productive things to do with their time than beat on the front door to my house..." I replied in a snooty tone. When I was finished, Rossweisse seemed to have a rather complicated expression on her face.

"A lowly piece...of human scum? Mr. Douglas, is that how you think the supernatural world sees you as? I mean, I wouldn't blame you, since there are quite a few beings out there that would agree with that viewpoint in a split second. But...how can I put it...I can't help but..." Rossweisse tried to explain something to me, though she seemed to have a bit of trouble with wording it in an understandable way. I just shook my head at her.

"Rossweisse. With all due respect, we literally met about an hour and a half ago. This is the kind of conversation that you have after you know someone for, like, a month or so. Besides, it's the truth. Maybe not **everyone** in the supernatural world has that viewpoint, but a majority of them do." I responded, cutting off her argument promptly whilst reminding her that we were essentially strangers.

Seriously, I know it's an 'anime thing', for these incredibly deep conversations to **just happen** out of freaking nowhere. But, I came from a place where people **never** discuss their true feelings. And, if they do, they do it over the Internet so that they face absolutely no punishment or judgment whatsoever.

Because every, single, person, is, a, **mother** , **fucking** , **snowflake**.

My response caused Rossweisse to go silent for a moment, just staring at me with an ashamed expression before nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's right. But, stranger or not, I know what it's like to be judged. Maybe not for **what** I am, but **judgment is judgment**. It never feels nice when others look at you as if you either don't matter...or deserve to suffer because of something you can't control." Rossweisse stated, hinting at having experienced some form of discrimination before. I know that what she went through was not 'traumatic' by any means, but I do know that she gets bullied from time to time.

I just sighed slightly.

"Heh, I'm used to being looked down on. Where I come from, everyone did it. Eventually, you just have to start trusting yourself and what you can do. It's no different with the supernatural and me. But, you seem pretty all right~!" I jokingly said while winking at Rossweisse, who seemed to blush deeply and shrink slightly as she sighed.

"W-Well, I'm glad we had this discussion. Even if we're strangers, we're going to be living together for a little while. Not to mention...well, it's nice to talk like this every now and then." she admitted, giving me a small smile as she waved and walked into her room. I chuckled.

"I think so too...even if you embarrass easy~!" I called out, trying to milk this for everything it's worth. I heard a small yelp from her room followed by a 'thud'.

...

...she tripped. Didn't she?

Ah well...

* * *

 **7:46 PM – 7 Hours 43 Minutes Later...**

"...So..."

"..."

"...I know this looks bad."

"Yes. It does."

"I swear, I didn't mean to tug on it that hard."

"Uh-huh."

"I-I promise I'll fix this! Just...give me a sec."

"Mm."

"So...this obviously goes here...and where's the little 'nut-thingy'?"

"..."

"Ah! T-There it is! Now to, uh, put it on."

"Need me to hold onto that for you?"

"S-Sure! It, uh, yeah...that would really help. S-So...I'll just tighten this down and, uh...it's...a little harder than I thought."

"Quite."

"U-Uh...d-do you happen to, uh, have a...uh..."

"Ratchet?"

"Y-Yes! One of those!"

"...Here you go."

"T-Thank you!"

"..."

"So, if I just stick this end on...and turn i-*CRACK*..."

"..."

"...uh..."

Inhaling sharply through my nose, I stared right at the foot long crevice that just formed in my kitchen counter next to my sink due to Rossweisse putting too much force in her cranking of the ratchet on the bolt she was working on.

See, what happened...was something along the lines of Rossweisse...

* * *

 **2 Minutes Earlier...**

 _"Ah, that was some good stuff~!" I remarked as I leaned back in my chair after finishing my plate that was chock full of food just a couple of minutes ago. Rossweisse sat across from me, an equally satisfied expression on her face._

 _"Yes. You're a fairly decent cook, Mr. Douglas. Maybe not top class, but those pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans were quite good. Thank you for the meal." Rossweisse commented. I just smiled in appreciation of her compliment before moving to stand up and collect her plate in order to go wash the dishes...only for Rossweisse to eagerly stand and speak up._

 _"No. You cooked dinner. It's only right that I, at least, do the dishes." Rossweisse spoke, smiling as she held her hand out for my plate. Sighing slightly, I gave it to her with a smile._

 _"Thanks."_

 _"It's the least I can do as a freeloading guest, after all." she responded like she had rehearsed it many times beforehand._

 _Sitting back down in my seat, I turned on the television and found some B-rate fantasy/adventure movie that was halfway finished. Leaning back, I was ready to enjoy the rest of my evening (with company) before going into hardcore training again tomorrow when..._

 _ ***SNAP***_

 _Quickly rushing out of my seat at the noise, I rounded the corner to look into the kitchen to see Rossweisse standing in front of the sink with a small blue glowing magic circle in front of her. After a moment, she dismissed the circle. Within an instant, the sound of a piece of metal cluttering against another piece of metal filled the house. Reaching her hand into the sink, she fished out one of the handles that were mounted to the faucet. Glancing over to me, she held the piece in her hand with a guilty expression on her face._

 _"...So..."_

* * *

"So, Rossweisse?" I asked the girl who was currently laying on her back whilst her hands were still underneath the sink, having just over-tightened the bolt. A side effect of doing so, is that one of the water pipes had been busted slightly, dousing her in water. She looked at me with a scared and guilty expression on her face.

"Y-Yes?" she responded meekly. I sighed slightly.

"Go get yourself some new clothes and go get washed up." I ordered her, knowing that I'd need the 'Crib Store' in order to fix this mess. I'm slightly surprised that my sink got busted up so bad when my wall took one of her 'magic cannon' blasts and barely got damaged at all.

Standing up whilst dipping her head slightly, I noticed that Rossweisse was **still** wearing the t-shirt and pants that I loaned her.

There's this thing when it comes to water and white t-shirts...

Though I certainly noticed how the clothes clung to her rather well-developed figure, I turned away from Rossweisse in order to show a sliver of respect and decency. I heard her footsteps rapidly walk away as I sighed.

Well, accidents happen. I'm kind of used to it, having come across situations like this many times in my old life.

So, waiting until Rossweisse had turned on the shower, and even making sure to check if she was spying on me or not, I entered the 'Crib Store'...and also used [Observe] on my kitchen sink and counter.

* * *

 **+Faulty Sink  
** **-Type: Kitchen Appliance  
** **-Level: 1  
** **-Note: Congratulations! You've found one of the two [Hidden Gag Items] that was planted in your Crib!**

* * *

 **+Faulty Counter  
** **-Type: Kitchen Furniture  
** **-Level: 1  
** **-Note: Congratulations! You've found one of the two [Hidden Gag Items] that was planted in your Crib!**

* * *

-inhale-

-exhale-

First, I bought a replacement sink that was the same appearance-wise as the one I had. Next, I bought a new counter for my kitchen, one that matched the same light brown wooden style that it had before. After buying those two things, I washed the dishes as planned before going back and sitting in my seat to continue watching the movie.

About 10 minutes later, the door to the bathroom opens up as Rossweisse comes out in the pair of gray and pink sweats that she got at the discount store earlier. She was busy drying her hair with one of the blue bath-towels that I had bought a little after lunchtime.

Looking at me with a clearly guilty look on her face, she glanced over to find the sink and counter 'fixed'. She looked shocked, before turning back to me.

"How...did you...?" she remarked. I sighed.

"Look, what happened earlier was **not** your fault. The sink was faulty. As for the counter...I can easily fix stuff like that. Though, from now on...it might be best if I do the repairs, just to be safe." I explained, giving her a small wink to let her know that I'm not mad at her. She just glanced away, still looking guilty.

I guess...I'm gonna have to compliment her again...

"Look, uh...I know you're gonna probably feel guilty no matter what, so...well, thanks for at least trying to fix it."

"I-I...I only made things worse in the end, though." she replied, not being reassured at all. Taking a deep breath, I rubbed my temples in an exaggerated way.

"Damn you, Rossweisse." I remarked crudely, causing Rossweisse's face to form a depressed frown as she obviously seemed to think I was mad at her. Continuing on, I planned to make her feel better...right...

...now.

"You're, like, ten times nicer than the girls back home!" I nearly yelled, almost as if I was exasperated. Rossweisse seemed shocked for a moment, not being able to respond clearly. After a moment or two, she seemed to try and speak up.

"N-No! I-I'm not reall al-Any other chick would've just been like, 'Oops! Well, sorry I broke your shit~! Have fun fixing it~!'." I cut her off, giving a **very real** example of what a normal teenage girl would've done in this situation.

Seriously, teenage girls are 'trolls' in every sense of the word!

Besides this chick! Rossweisse is fucking **nice** as what a **saint** is supposed to be like!

Looking over, I saw Rossweisse with her jaw dropping slightly as a red hue danced over her cheeks. Maybe she was shocked that I used 'vulgar language'. Or, like before, she was simply not used to being complimented.

This poor girl...

"..."

"Look...you know, like I said earlier, it wasn't **your** fault that the sink **or** the counter broke. It's fixed now, and there was no harm done. Well, other than the shirt...that...uh, let's calm down a bit, okay?" I raised my hands up slowly to show my surrender as Rossweisse had brought out her 'cannon' again.

Seriously, is this gonna be a 'thing' for the rest of the [Game]!?

"Y-Y-You just f-forget everything you s-saw, UNDERSTAND!?" Rossweisse sputtered at me, clearly embarrassed beyond all words.

Here's a little fun fact that differentiates 'anime' from 'reality'.

When people get embarrassed, they might end up acting all cute...or they might get extremely aggressive, especially if your relationship with them is not intimate in the slightest.

Rossweisse, as you can clearly guess, is of the 'latter variety'. She may not **hate** **me** , per se. But, we only met this morning...and I saw her go through a 'solo wet t-shirt contest' without her expressed consent.

"O-Okay! I doubt that I can, like, just **forget** , but I'll do my best to move on from it." I tried to calmly reason with her. Rossweisse just turned her face away before dismissing her 'cannon' and stomping away towards her room.

Sighing in sweet relief that I had avoided death once again, I decided that I was as ready for bed as ever.

* * *

 **8:00 PM**

Walking into my bedroom, which was still fairly bare besides the bed sitting against the far wall, I shrugged off my shoes and socks before hopping into bed...

Only to understand what a '1/10 Comfort Level' really means.

This...is only **slightly** more comfortable than a **yoga mat**!

Forcing myself to try and relax in order to fall asleep...I was met by a glowing blue screen in front of my face.

* * *

 **-You have entered a Bed!-  
** **-Benefits of Sleeping in this Bed: x2 EXP for 12 hours, HP/MP restored  
** **-Would you like to go to Sleep? (8 Hours)-**

 **+Yes  
**

 **+No**

* * *

I pressed yes...and right then and there...my vision went black...and my mind felt completely at ease...

* * *

 **9:15 AM – 5 hours after waking up...**

 **[ID: Puppets LVL: 10]**

" **SpIn AttAAAck**!"

Spinning in a circle amongst a group of 13 Soldiers that had huddled around me with my sword braced in my right hand, I sliced through each and every one with the precision and grace of a blind donkey.

Which, of course, meant that I fell on my ass after I was finished slicing all of them. Luckily, by which I mean 'skillfully', they were the last ones left from the final Soldier area I had just gone through.

Once I had woken up from my sleep, I got a notification box telling me about the 'benefits' I received from sleeping in that extremely uncomfortable bed. It didn't detail the 'consequences' of sleeping in that bed, but I think a sore back is plenty enough to explain why I've had a little trouble with doing certain 'tricks' whilst fighting Puppets.

Such as the classic 'spin attack'.

Anyways, after I had woken up, I immediately started getting ready to re-enter the 'Puppet ID' in order to get the most out of the benefits the (stupid) bed gave me.

I kind of lost track after the time I've been going in and out of this dungeon, though. It wasn't until I looked it up this last time to get an idea of how long I've been doing this ever since I woke up.

5 hours. 5 freaking hours of going into this dungeon.

By this point, the amount of time/precision with which I can beat thirty areas of the 'Puppet ID' is almost down to the dot.

After 5 hours of training, I've hit my 'benchmark' 12 times with this 'go around' being the 13th time I've gone through this dungeon.

These guys now pose absolutely no threat to me whatsoever.

Pulling up my 'Status Screen', I checked how much progress I've made.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 14, 2014 **(Canon Start: 970 days)  
** **Time:** 9:15:47 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 53  
 **EXP** : 28,461/720,178  
 **HP:** 1160/1160 (+299.5 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 1160/1160 (+300.5 MP/minute)

 **STR:** **270** (250+0+0+0) **(+20)  
** **END:** 235 (182+53+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 260 (260+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 235 (182+53+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 108 (1+106+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

Concerning my abilities...

My [Observe] ability has been raised to level 121. Considering that both of my [Regenerator] abilities have the same format concerning 'levels', I think it's safe to say that those abilities will also continue to grow past level 100.

Oh yeah! [Health Regenerator] is at 52 and [Magic Regenerator] is at 54. I try my best to always be recovering, but it's kinda hard to stay concentrated on doing seven or eight different things **on top of** fighting.

I've also 'maxed out' my [Boost] and [Block] abilities. That means that, hopefully, when I get my 'Skill Tokens' for completing this [Quest], I'll be able to have them as potential options for me to upgrade.

From what Cameron said, [Boost] being upgraded to [Rank: D] will give me the **[Boosted Gear]**. Whilst I wouldn't want to rely on **that** to help me defend myself from the Devils (along with pretty much everything else out there), beggars can't be choosers.

Looking at my 'Stats' compared to my 'level', I might have been a little concerned seeings as Rias and her gang have lower levels than me, but considerably higher 'Stats'.

However, Cameron summed it up quite nicely...

* * *

 _ **During First Training Trip...**_

 _"Aren't my 'Stats' increasing too slowly?" I asked Cameron as I launched more [Arrows of Fire] at the Archers he was holding down with his abilities. Cameron just cocked an eyebrow at me._

 _"Oh, you mean compared to those Devils, huh? Nah. For them, 'level' is a very pure form of measuring their 'combat experience'. However, we get power from those same 'levels'. Not to mention, that 'Stat Bonuses' are bullshit. It gets fucking insane after a while. Sure, you may not even be into the hundreds yet, but what if you were just given 10 'Stat Bonuses'? Each 'Stat' could be boosted to nearly 150, or you could push one of your stats to 300 or so. Not to mention that it will keep increasing with every level up. Trust me, 'kay? Those things will fork out **beaucoup** points real freaking quick. And, as easy as it is to get 'Tokens' for abilities, it's also just as easy and quick to get 'Stat Bonuses'." he explained, seeming to get another idea once he was done..._

 _"Also, don't ever waste 'Stat Points' on LUK. It's super freaking useful, but you're a Human. We have **no weaknesses** , and get LUK for free. The amount of LUK you have, if you don't waste your 'Stat Points' on it, should always be just a little bit more than the combined total of 'Stat Bonuses' rewards that you get. So, like, if you have 100 'Stat Bonuses', your LUK should be 'your level x 100'." he finished, seemingly ending the conversation by rushing off to the next area._

 _Running to catch up to him, I wondered just how fast I would get stronger with 'Stat Bonuses'..._

* * *

I've also spent a little bit of time trying to acquaint myself with a few of the 'given abilities' that I received by raising each of my 'Stats' to 100.

* * *

 **Skills:**

 **(((STR)))**

 **+[Perfect Grip] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-When gripping an object, the object will not crumble from any external forces applied to it (such as gravity, force of grip, etc.). Allows the player to lift the object as they please as well, so long as they have enough STR.**

* * *

 **(((AGI)))**

 **+[Control Stick Physics] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-Allows the player to go from standing still to an all-out sprint in an absolute instant, with absolutely no time wasted on speeding up. Also allows the player to stop on a dime with no time wasted on slowing down.**

* * *

 **(((INT)))**

 **+[Perfect Memory] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-The player can perfectly recall any memory or information they desire, so long as they genuinely experienced or learned it at some point.**

* * *

 **(((LUK)))**

 **+[Blessed Looter] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-Doubles amount of money player obtains from defeated enemies.**

* * *

[Control Stick Physics] caused me to trip and eat dirt a few times, simply because I wasn't ready to suddenly go as fast as my legs could carry me. It feels weird, but I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to get the hang of it after a while. [Perfect Memory] sounded a little scary at first, but it only activates when you 'want' it to. [Blessed Looter] hasn't changed anything, though making me richer as I kill these Puppets (which I think anyone would be okay with).

As far as [Perfect Grip] goes, I haven't really tried picking anything up yet. I've never needed to, after all. But, I'll probably see what I can do with it later on. Maybe I can increase my fighting potential by throwing rocks/ boulders/ mountains...

That would actually be pretty cool, to be honest...

I mean, it would definitely fuck up a city or an army without much trouble, throwing a mountain that is. If you threw it high enough, it could even be used as a 'meteor-type' attack.

However, considering that it's already past 9 AM in the morning, I should probably leave my room so that, should Rossweisse be up, she won't question my sleeping for 13 hours straight. Especially since she knows that yesterday was, in no way, taxing enough to warrant such an amount of sleep.

Even though I've already asked her to overlook me disappearing for three or four hours at a time, I can't really trust that her 'suspicion meter' won't rise if I do things like that too often.

So, exiting the ID early, I get ready to go and greet Rossweisse for another day.

* * *

"Fuaah~..." I looked as I exited my room to see Rossweisse sitting in her chair in the living room with a slight bed-head. I only noticed this now, but she doesn't have her purple ribbons that she ties in her hair.

I guess she either doesn't possess them yet...or the Puppets took them.

"Well, 'sleeping beauty' has a cute yawn, huh?" I decided to try and rack up a few compliments to finish the 'optional' part of the [Quest]. Rossweisse, however, just glanced at me before dipping her head slightly, her eyes showing a level of grogginess I (as a college student) was quite familiar with.

"..."

"You doing alright there?" I asked with a gentle tone, knowing that one can feel like shit in the morning due to grogginess. However, due to [Gamer's Mind], I didn't possess those problems anymore.

But, it's not mine to deal with at this point, it's hers. And, if I want to 'be nice to Rossweisse', then I have to try and help her out with stuff like this.

"...yes. I...ugh...I stayed up late and studied." she responded in a grumbling tone. I just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Studying?" I parroted, having not expected her to have access to anything related to school. I mean, it's not like I thought she **didn't** , it just never crossed my mind before.

"Yes. I'm going to college now. Being kidnapped by sentient wooden puppets is...well, I'm used to studying like that, though." she replied, raising her knees up to her sweatshirt-clad torso and burying her face into them whilst wrapping her arms around her head to block out the sunlight entering the room from the window.

"Ah, a fellow nerd, huh?" I asked as I sat down in my chair across from her. Something about what I said seemed to surprise, or confuse, Rossweisse as she peeked out from her 'hide-y hole'.

"Nerd?" she asked, as if she didn't really hear what I said before. I just shrugged.

"Well, maybe not a 'nerd', so much as a 'geek'. I do better with technology than math and such. What are you studying in college?" I enunciated, before making sure to push the conversation more towards 'her' school life.

After all, if I said that I had gone to college as well...she might just get suspicious again, even in her drowsy state.

Rossweisse just hummed a little before sighing.

"Hah, I'm studying to become a Valkyrie. Do you know about those?" she asked, to which I just gave a small shrug and a perplexed face.

"As far as I know, they're like the servants of the Norse Gods, right? Also, that thing where they lead warriors who died in battle to Valhalla to await Ragnarok. Well, that's just trivia I found online when I looked up Norse Mythology out of fleeting curiosity. Other than that, I learned a few of the Gods names from watching superhero movies and anime." I answered, knowing that my knowledge of the 'DXD-verse' is not absolute. It would be best to respect that fact.

Apparently satisfied with my answer, Rossweisse nods.

"Yes, nowadays Valkyries are considered 'helpers' to the Gods. But, they don't just lead the souls of glorious and honorable warriors to the halls of Valhalla, they also determine whether they live or die on the battlefield in the first place." Rossweisse clarified, causing my jaw to drop slightly.

"You're just gonna...pick and choose who lives and dies!?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I mean, I know that the supernatural determines a lot of things for humanity, but to hear that this silver-haired girl (who is my favorite girl in the whole show) who I thought to be just a socially-awkward yet nice person...will have that kind of authority...

...it's a little off-putting.

Seeing that I was a little shocked, and concerned, by her explanation, Rossweisse quickly raises her hands in a placating gesture.

"C-Calm down! It's not as though we simply point and say 'you die' or 'you live', we...well, we 'evaluate' the warrior. Their virtues, their reasons for fighting, and their character. I-If we deem them worthy of attention, then we're expected to protect and help them. But, should they die in battle still, we'll carry them to Valhalla. After that, they're expected to prepare for Ragnarok, as you said, and the Valkyries are to... **serve** them properly." Rossweisse hastily explained, lessening my worries slightly that I wasn't looking 'Death Incarnate' straight in the eyes. However, at the end of the explanation, she seemed to hesitate on the word 'serve'.

"Serve? I think I read about that. You serve them **mead** , right?" I asked, having remembered reading something like that. Noticing Rossweisse's face slowly turning a flushed red, I immediately realized what she meant.

"O-Ohh...'serve'...as in 'that'." I lamely surmised. Rossweisse made a small whining sound.

"N-N-Not a-always, but...s-sometimes." she amended. I nodded.

"Do you guys have a say in the matter?" I asked. She just nodded.

"Y-Yes."

"Mm. So, what kinds of things do you need to learn to be a Valkyrie?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back towards a milder topic. Rossweisse smiled slightly, seemingly appreciative for the 'save'.

"W-We mostly have to learn how to fight and be proper 'helpers' for the Gods. We also learn quite a bit about 'inter-faction politics'. With everything combined, it's a lot like human education...with magic." she finished, burying her head again. I just crossed my legs and rested my hands on the arms of my chair as I breathed deeply.

...

...

Sitting in peaceful silence for a moment, I decided to go ahead and view Rossweisse's 'Observe Screen' due to the level of my [Observe] skill now being higher than her level.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Rossweisse (?)  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Birthday:** August 8th  
 **Race:** Half-God (Valkyrie)  
 **Affiliation:** Norse Faction

 **LVL:** 105  
 **HP:** 73,682/73,682  
 **MP:** 163,329/163,329

 **STR:** 44,688  
 **END:** 52,901  
 **AGI:** 43,144  
 **INT:** 98,144  
 **MAG:** 110,574  
 **LUK:** 12,372

* * *

 **(((Explanation in description, so hold off on disbelief for thirty more seconds...)))**

* * *

FUCK ME!

I'M NOT GONNA EVEN FUCKING **TOUCH** THIS CHICK!

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Ah~, don't I just love pissing on people's expectations of 'Stats' and 'Plot'~...?**

 **Of course I do.**

 **Now, for some rather _forward_ explanations as to, mostly, my reasoning behind the 'Stats'...**

 **First off, I like big numbers. So, there _is_ a bias to start out with. Okay? Good.**

 **Secondly, Rias and her Peerage DON'T FREAKING DO ANYTHING! At least until a ways into canon. I hate the idea, even with genetic superiority, of her and her Peerage being anything special in the supernatural world.**

 **However, if you want to view their 'Stats', 'abilities', [Sacred Gears], and 'experience' as their 'defining traits' when it comes to measuring their combat abilities, then my system IS for you.**

 **I've now shown that Devils are _naturally superior_ ,in terms of 'Stats' alone, compared to humans. Not to mention that they have magic _and_ [Sacred Gears] _and_ special abilities to further emphasize how well they make use of their 'Stats'.**

 **Akeno is better than Rias in terms of 'skill' and 'diversity'. She is also far more capable of learning than Rias is. Period. That's not even a question for ANYONE who knows DXD.**

 **Rias, however, has more natural power in her than Akeno.**

 **Remember, the INT 'Stat' in my system does not refer to ACTUAL intelligence. It's merely a quantitative measurement of how fast you learn new abilities.**

 **It doesn't mean anything in relation to the amount of knowledge you hold, how wise you are, how good of decisions you can make, your SAT scores, etc.**

 **Those things, in my opinion, are just 'too vague' to be quantitatively measured in an accurate and fair manner. Oh, people can certainly _try_ all they want, though.**

 **Now, for Rossweisse's 'Stats'. Just so people don't go all 'wacko' on me for making them 'too high'.**

 **I'll go ahead and spoil it for you. The leaders of the Three Factions will have average 'Stats' in the millions. The MILLIONS.**

 **Rossweisse, on the other hand, is an extremely prodigious Demi-God who is studying and training extensively to become a direct subordinate to literal Gods. I feel like, even pre-canon, she should still be leagues ahead of Rias and her Peerage. Besides, even if she has numbers in the tens of thousands, it doesn't exactly denote that she can demolish mountains with a single punch. However, should she _hit_ _someone_ with an all out physical attack, then the damage formula I've concocted through trial and error will determine how much damage they take.**

 **Every living being in my story will work under the rules of the [Gamer System] that I created. That is absolute, mainly because it's a bullshit concept to throw the system to the side just for the NPCs to do cool things or have meaningless 'Stats' compared to the [Gamers].**

* * *

 **I would like to apologize, though, to _Kinunatzs The Eternal_ for basically taking a big dump on our previous conversation regarding 'Stat Averages amongst different Classes'. After looking through it all, I just felt like the prospect of the bigger numbers will help sell a more 'game-like feeling' to everything. There need to be obstacles to be overcome for a story to be even remotely good. Considering that you had put in genuine effort to work out a system which even I hadn't really thought out yet, it leaves a kind of bitter taste in my mouth considering that it seems like I'm going against it so blatantly.**

 **However, I will continue to try and make the story interesting, make no mistake about that.**

 **I've also have taken some of your previous points into consideration concerning the 'Stat Averages amongst different Classes' and have come up with my own version which is basically yours but with bigger numbers and ranges. I did that considering that I've basically stated that my OC will be getting the [Boosted Gear]. Can't let him have it too easy, can I~?**

* * *

 **So...yeah.**

 **I don't really think I have anything else to say at the moment.**

 **Oh yeah, almost +19k views, 200+ Favorites and Follows, along with 100+ Reviews.**

 **...**

 **...Thanks guys.** **I really mean that.**

 **Also, I will be posting the updated 'Status Screens' into 'DXD: Gamer Files'. Hopefully, it'll make things a little easier to keep up with.**


	10. Chapter 8 - An Oddly Normal Week (Pt 2)

**So, here's to the fact that I am making Chapter 8 into a three-part 'thing'!**

 **"Why?" you may ask...**

 **Because if I didn't, then this chapter would be nearly 30k words long!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius's Stand-in]:_ Hello everyone! You don't know me, and I don't give a crap! The author of this story owns nothing except for his OC(s), original plot-lines and ideas!

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 (Part 2): An...Oddly Normal Week...**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib**

 **August 16, 2014 - 12:47 PM – 2 days, 3.5 Hours Later...**

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"I swear, if that's fucking Sitri, I'm gonna slam the door in her face too. Or, it might be Cameron. He said he'd only be a couple of days or so." I seethed as I got up from my chair and made my way around the living room to answer the door. Rossweisse was currently in the bathroom, taking a shower, so I needn't worry about her seeing anything suspicious.

Turning the handle for the door, I cracked it open like an introverted person does and peeked out at the two thirty-something-year old ladies standing on my front porch. Both were Japanese and had darkened hair, along with slight signs of wrinkles appearing on their faces. They both dressed in neutral white dress shirts and black business skirts. The one on the right was holding a stack of pamphlets, whilst the one on the left held a single pamphlet delicately in her hands. She wasn't putting it on display yet, so I couldn't see what it was.

Both...were smiling good-naturedly at me.

"...yes?" I prompted in a reserved voice, staring at the two creeps standing at my front door. I didn't even try to pay attention to their pamphlet, since I wasn't interested in **anything** they were selling.

"Hello, young man. We've heard that someone moved into this neighborhood and were hoping to speak with them. Are your parents here?" the female on the left asked, attempting to get a glimpse into the household as if looking for my 'parents'.

Keeping my stare on her level and blank, I answered her.

"No, they're not. Why?" I responded. The two women looked at each other before nodding. Turning back to me, they seemed to find a reason to communicate with me, so they did.

"Well, we would've liked to speak with them, but what we have to say can be discussed with you as well. After all, we're all equal. Young man, have you found Jesus in your life?" the same lady questioned in a way that would make me genuinely consider my answer, as well as ponder on all of my life choices and whether or not I want my immortal soul to either burn in Hell...or ascend to Heaven and 'party like it's 1999' (RIP Prince).

Thinking over my answer carefully, I swung open the door after a moment of messing with my 'Inventory Screen' and...

"No, but come on in, and help me look for him~!" I answered as I appeared before them clad in nothing but a scarlet-red 'man thong'.

Taking a rather sick amount of delight in their shocked faces, I gestured them inside with an inviting and confident pose...only for them to scramble away from the door whilst screaming their lungs out down the sidewalk...

"Ahhhh! Pervert!"

"Ahhhh! Lecher!"

Snorting, I quickly changed back into my regular clothes via the 'Inventory Screen' before any **real** problems arose.

Turning around, I saw Rossweisse nearly rip the bathroom door off its hinges and come running out. She was clad in blue jeans and a blue jersey over the baggy t-shirt I loaned her. In her hand, she already had a blue magic circle thrumming with power, ready to blast the 'pervert' all the way to 'kingdom come'.

Swinging her head left and right, making her wet hair whip back and forth, she finally set her gaze on me. I just sighed with a smile on my face.

"Settle down. I just played a prank on some Jesus-hating Christians. There's no 'pervert' around here." I held up my hands to placate her as I explained. She glared at me for a moment, before dismissing her magic circle while rubbing the left side of her head with her free hand.

"To imply that Christians hate Jesus, is quite contradictory, isn't it? To me, it almost seems as if you're **trying** to anger people." Rossweisse spoke, before just turning and heading into her room without another word. I just smiled at the fact that it seems like Rossweisse is willing to believe that I was just being a 'troll'.

Maybe not doing myself any favors like that, but whatever...

* * *

 **1:45 PM – 1 Hour Later**

"Mm~, this is very good, Mr. Douglas." Rossweisse commented as she swallowed another mouthful of the homemade chicken caesar salad that I had made for lunch. Whilst I'm not a personal fan of salads, I thought Rossweisse might like something that **isn't** **fried**.

"Glad ya like it." I responded naturally, taking another bite of the healthy concoction. Rossweisse did the same as we sat in our chairs in the living room whilst the TV was on a music station, playing some jazz music to give some ambient sound to our meal.

Taking a moment to finish the food in her mouth, Rossweisse leaned back in her seat as she regarded me with a curious expression.

"Mr. Douglas, is it okay if I ask you something?" she asked. I just nodded as my mouth was full.

"You're an American, right? Why did you choose to come and live in Japan?"

...

...shit.

Shit fuck. Fuck shit.

Donkey teeth.

"..." I stayed quiet as I stopped chewing before shifting my gaze out the window to my left.

I basically have two options at this point. Tell her the truth...or come up with a **plausible** lie.

"...It wasn't exactly a choice that I could make. Some things happened, along with my friend showing up, that led me to be here. There was no real **decision** on my part to live here. But, once I got here, and managed to procure a house, I've decided to live here for a while. That's literally why I'm here. It's just a coincidence." I spoke, taking another bite of my salad after I was done.

I know that it wasn't the greatest of explanations, but that's about as much of the truth as I think is safe to tell her. Glancing back over to the silver-haired girl, I could instantly see the raised eyebrow of a female that doesn't believe a single word you just told her.

"A coincidence, led you to move from America to Japan and decide to live here? Pardon me for saying this, but I don't see how someone could go along with something like that. Humans have embassies in other countries, which would definitely help you to get back home if you needed it. So...why are you staying here?" she pressed, setting her bowl down on the table without breaking eye contact with me.

Leaning back into my seat, I mulled over my options in my head.

Again, it was to either tell her the truth...or come up with some stupid reason.

"It really doesn't matter if you believe me or not. However, that's what happened. It was a...rather weird coincidence, I admit, but I'm here now and I feel like staying here. The Devils might be a bit of a problem, but I'm working on handling that. I don't exactly **need** nor **want** to go back to America, so I don't see a single reason why I can't stay in Japan for a bit." I responded cleanly, not backing down from her challenging tone. Rossweisse seemed a little miffed at me basically saying that her opinion didn't matter in this situation, which it doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, she's my favorite girl in the series, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna bend over backwards to please her.

No girl is worth giving up your pride for, after all.

However, giving a sigh, I saw Rossweisse unwind a little.

"I suppose so. But, Mr. Douglas, what exactly was the coincidence that led to you being here?"

"...rather curious all of a sudden, aren't ya? My friend seems to have played a big part in it. I went along with him, due to the fact that I was 'spinning my tires' in America. Basically, I was bored and it didn't seem like any effort I put forth produced any meaningful results. He brought me here, got me set up with a house, took me to that temple where I saved you, and now we're here. So, most of the reason I'm here is due to my friend helping me out." I explained, finishing off my salad. I then got up from my seat and took the plate to the kitchen before washing it in the sink.

"...so...are you going to school?" I heard the girl in the living room ask nervously, probably thinking that she did something to upset me. I just sighed slightly.

This next statement has a fairly high chance of inciting suspicion, due to how young I look. However, I know it's not outside the realm of possibility, so I think it would be safe to go with it...

"I got my diploma early, so as of the moment...no." I replied, basically lying whilst telling the truth at the same time. I had gone through high-school once, and I have absolutely no intention of doing so again...

"What about college?" she asked, seeming to think that she had successfully changed the topic cleanly.

"No. Besides, there's not a whole lot that you can learn in college that is **genuinely useful** in the real world."

After saying that, I heard a sharp breath of air before the sound of feet marching into the kitchen filled the air. Turning around, I was met by the sight of Rossweisse staring sternly into my eyes from about six inches away.

"You can't just brush your education under the rug like that! If you don't go to college, then there is hardly a company in the world that would hire you! Do you even have a job? Are you saving up money? What kind of credit score do you have? Do you have a trust fund set up? Do you at least have a savings account? How about your taxes? Did you file them correctly? Are you budgeting your finances correctly? Did you take out a loan to get this house? What is the interest rate? Is the loan federal or privately funded? Do you have a career plan set up? How many years do you plan to spend gaining experience? What are your..."

...

...

...

I'm almost sorry I answered the way I did. Rossweisse really is a fanatic when it comes to 'money smarts'.

And so...one whole hour of listening to a 'nagging female' ensued...

* * *

 **8:31 PM – 7 hours later...**

*tap* *tap* *tap*

"...is everything alright? You seem a little...stressed." Rossweisse commented with a hint of concern in her voice as she came out of her room to find me tapping on the arm of my chair in the living room as I sat in it. Glancing up at her, I debated over whether or not I should share my problems with her.

Eventually deciding that it wouldn't really matter even if I did, I sighed and stopped tapping.

"Don't worry. It's nothing important." I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Rossweisse gave me a pointed stare at that, like she hardly believed me. Shrugging her shoulders, she probably didn't feel up to arguing.

"Well...fine. Mr. Douglas, I-I know it's quite awkward, even with being around each other for the past few days, but..." she tried to respond, probably with some form of the 'you can talk to me' schtick. I just held up a hand to stop her.

"Say no more, Rossweisse. I understand where you're coming from. But, it really isn't anything to worry about..." I cut her off, having an image of my brown-haired friend's face flash in my head and understanding that it **is** something to worry about.

Cameron, despite being a 'jackass' like myself, didn't seem to have any doubt that he'd be back in a day, or two at most. Maybe something extra came up, or the 'guild business' he had to deal with was more complicated than he thought it would be...or something happened. After all, with the way that he talked about some of the other [Gamers] out there, it sounds like there might be a fair few that can beat **him** into the ground...

...

I hope my pal is okay...

"Okay...I guess. Do you want a drink?" Rossweisse replied, not pushing the subject. I shook my head to her question. Shrugging, she walked into the kitchen, and out of my sight. Soon after, I heard the refrigerator door open and the sound of glass 'clinking' against glass.

I settled into my chair to try and appear more casual and relaxed, if only to spare Rossweisse any concern for my general well-being or whatnot.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"You know, it just now occured to me, but for someone who **apparently** just moved here, you certainly have a lot of visitors." Rossweisse commented as she walked out of the kitchen with a mason jar filled with iced tea in her hand. I sighed slightly as I stood up from my chair.

"Yes. And very few of them are friendly. But, perhaps my luck is changing?" I lightly responded as I walked over to the door. Opening it up, I was almost prepared for it to be another freaking newspaper salesman.

I've already had 13 offers to buy a damn newspaper subscription. I don't give a fried fuck about the news, especially news about random-ass people I neither know nor have any desire to get to know.

Not to mention, that all media is biased and uninformative at its very core. Bunch of propaganda-spreading bastards think that they're gonna fool me into believing the same crap as other people...

Knowing that my house was protected by the [Game System], I didn't feel even a slight twinge of fear about who was on the other side of the door...

...

However, as I opened it up slightly, I was surprised by the door being forced open suddenly from the other side. I was pushed back slightly by the force as the door flew past my face and slammed into the wall...

"Yo~! Whassup, **scrub** ~?"

Walking through the doorway, my brown-haired friend that I had just been worried about was grinning so wide that you'd think he had just won the fucking lottery. His dark green aviators were blocking his eyes again, to which I wondered why he wore those glasses even during the late evening...

...

"Mr. Douglas, who is this...?" Rossweisse asked from behind me. Giving a small glare to Cameron as he seemed to relish in the fact that he nearly vandalized my property (even though the house is indestructible, mind you), I responded back in an even tone.

"Rossweisse, this is Cameron. The friend I told you about. Dude, first off...the fuck took you so long? Second, why the hell did you do that?" I answered her before asking Cameron what the deal was...

"Whoa, chill the horses, man~! Besides, it's not like I could break this place, even if I tried!" Cameron held up his hands in a 'surrender' posture, not seeming even slightly guilty for what he did. I heard foosteps come up from behind me, before seeing Rossweisse stand on my left side as she regarded him with a neutral face.

"This is the person who brought you to Japan and to that 'temple'?" she asked, probably just wanting confirmation.

Even though I couldn't really make his eyes out, I figured Cameron just glanced at me. I wiggled my eyebrows slightly to try and signal for him to just go with it. At that, he just turned to Rossweisse without a care in the world.

"Yep, that's me~! Rossweisse, was it? It's a pleasure~! Cameron Philips, badass extraordinaire, at your service~!" Cameron greeted, giving a theatrical bow, and overall looking like a dumbass.

I can't really explain the phenomenon I witnessed after he introduced himself, but all I know is that a large droplet of liquid appeared on the side of Rossweisse's head...

Is that an 'anime sweatdrop'?

"Y-Yes...um...it's...nice to meet you as well." she replied, most likely a little flustered from being greeted in such a grandiose fashion.

Taking a small second to get over the fact that the large droplet of liquid on Rossweisse's head disappeared with neither a reason nor explanation, I moved out of the way of the door to let Cameron inside.

"Come on in, man. No sense staying outside." I spoke, gesturing for Rossweisse to follow. She made way as well, to which Cameron stepped inside and closed the door with much less force than he had used when he opened it.

"Oh, before I forget, you do realize that two chicks, one with black hair and the other with white, are basically doing a 'stake-out' on your house right now, right?" he informed, to which I just sighed. Rossweisse also just chuckled nervously at that.

"Don't even get me started on them. The Devils showed up around noon the day that you left. Something about you throwing one of their unconscious bodies through a window into their 'club room'?" I answered, making sure to give him a clear hint to explain more about that later. Cameron, however, raised a hand up and pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose in order to peer at me from over the rims of them.

He definitely didn't look so stupid as to not notice an obvious detail I had left out...

"And, pray tell, **how** **exactly** did the Devils find out where you live? I made certain that we weren't tailed the night I rescued your punk ass from them. Therefore, the only way they could have **any** idea where to find you would be..." Cameron reasoned, before he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.

Busted.

"Oh, fucking hell, Doug!? I told you, I **FUCKING TOLD** you to **STAY HERE**! Why!? Why the fuck would you leave this house, when I explicitly told you that it would put you in unnecessary danger!?" Cameron got right up in my face and shouted. I flinched away slightly, a feeling of guilt entering my gut. Glancing away from Cameron's face, I found myself looking directly at Rossweisse.

She was looking at me with an obvious 'you are getting yelled at because of me, so now I feel really guilty and bad' expression.

Following my line-of-sight, Cameron glanced over to Rossweisse before he seemed to immediately understand something...

"God damn it, he's such a fucking tool...every time, every **fucking** time...!" he lowered his voice to seeth slightly before deciding to content himself with muttering curses towards me under his breath as he got out of my face and barged over into the kitchen.

I kept my eyes on him until seeing him nearly rip the refrigerator's door off it's hinges. Then, I just looked over to Rossweisse who still looked as if she had just unintentionally thrown a cute little puppy into the path of a moving seven ton steam-roller.

Hearing the refrigerator's door being slammed, I looked over to find Cameron drinking a glass of iced tea with a pissed off expression on his face.

"I fucking take time off to train and watch over you personally, yet the moment I take my eyes off you, you're off on a **date** with Rossweisse here, in broad daylight, when I had **explicitly told you** to stay in your house. Yeah, she's pretty damn gorgeous, but why couldn't you have done something **in here**!?" he complained, gesturing to the inside of the house.

Now, here's the thing with Cameron, he's one of those guys who hardly ever gets **really** pissed off. He just gets worried and shows it through complaining. He's like a woman.

Though, I couldn't deny that having my friend claim that I was on a date with the girl beside me made me feel slightly embarrassed. Old ladies are one thing, since they're nothing but idealistic dreamers and optimists...but my friends **know me**.

They know how **unlikely** it would be for me to go on a date in the first place...

"D-Date!?"

Ah, and Rossweisse reacted first. Looking over, I saw her cheeks nearly sweating blood from how red they were.

...

"Dude, not cool. She needed some clothes, and I needed to stock up on food and stuff." I explained, feeling my own cheeks burning slightly.

Quickly walking into the kitchen to get near him, I whispered some stuff that I couldn't exactly say with Rossweisse right next to me.

"Also, I couldn't use the 'Store', since Rossweisse is pretty damn perceptive and would definitely notice something was up. Not to mention, it would be pretty suspicious if I just **happen** to procure several sets of female clothing. Yeah, I felt bad for her, and wanted to give her a helping hand, but it's not like we spent the whole fucking day going out and about. We were out for an hour, at most. Also, **if** things had devolved to a fight, I'd have Rossweisse as back-up (maybe)." I further explained, making sure that Rossweisse didn't follow me into the kitchen.

She was still rooted in place from hearing that 'we went on a date'.

With how little experience she has with these things, she'll probably be confused about that for a while. Not to mention that, in the series, she was quite a 'dreamer', which I think was caused by the fact that she got so depressed over not having a boyfriend.

Anyways, after I finished my more detailed explanation, Cameron just groaned.

"Dude, believe me, I already fucking **know** why you did it. With you being such a wimp when it comes to girls, I could already tell that you were just being nice. But, now that the Devils know where you live, you're not gonna have any freedom to go out and do shit until you get on their level. By the way...good job. Not as good as you could've done, but I can tell you've put some decent effort in. You know, considering you've been flirting with your 'soon to be girlfriend' over there." Cameron replied, keeping his voice down for most of it before announcing the last part out loud.

"I-I-I'm n-not his g-guh" Rossweisse began to stutter. I gave him a good glare as I cut across the silver-haired girl's mutterings in order to save her the embarrassment.

Not to mention, I feel like Cameron has been **waiting** to tease me about this.

"Stop. It."

"Okay~!"

And with that, I think we've moved past the 'awkward first greeting' part of the relationship...

And with that, we all took a few minutes in order to calm down. I went into my bedroom with the excuse of 'fetching a chair' before buying another one, identical to the two that are already in my living room, and hauling it out, setting it down in a way that makes all the chairs form a 'triangle'.

With that, we all grabbed a drink (iced tea, because we all know that that's the only drink that exists in the universe) and sat down.

"So...Mr. Cameron, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions that I've had for the past few days since living with Mr. Douglas..." Rossweisse started, obviously kicking things off with a '20 questions' vibe.

Cameron and I exchanged glances for a moment, me waving my hand slightly...and him sighing deeply.

"Sure, I guess." he responded, turning to face the silver-haired Valkyrie-in-training. Rossweisse just nodded graciously before sending a suspicious glance my way.

"How well do you and Mr. Douglas know each other?"

"...well, we've been close friends since we were 6 years old, minus a few years due to not keeping in contact. So, pretty well, I'd say. Though, between the two of us, I guess puberty still hasn't really hit him yet~." he answered easily, stating the truth, except that last part.

Though, considering that we looked a bit different in terms of age, he probably tried to say that in order to nullify any suspicion regarding that matter. So, nodding at what he said, I agreed with him to further assure Rossweisse that it wasn't a lie.

Seemingly content with believing that, since she probably didn't see a reason **not** to, she moved onto her next question.

"So, if you had known each other so long, why did you bring him here? Why bring him to that 'temple' with the sentient wooden Puppets? I can tell that he's a regu...well, by now he seems to be exceptional, but he's still a **human** , no offense intended Mr. Douglas. I can't imagine you, as a **close friend** , would allow him to enter into such a dangerous place as that. Nor could I think of a reason you would take him from his home and drop him off here, only to leave him after a few hours." she rapidly shot off question after question, coming so close to sounding **accusatory**.

PFFT!?

Oh...shit...

...now, don't get me wrong, I recognize that tone of voice anywhere. That's the tone of someone who's friend was **cheated on** and **lied to**.

...is Rossweisse...being **protective** over me?

...

Well, I'm flattered, and touched...but...

When I said those things, it was to get her off my back. I never thought that she'd take it up with Cameron himself (if she met him face-to-face).

But, what surprised me even more was when Cameron looked at me, pale white and shocked.

"Wh-...?" he whispered before quickly cutting himself off. He was so quiet that I almost wasn't able to catch it.

Key word, **almost**.

Probably something that I'll be asking him about later, because that's not the look of a friend who understands that you were just telling a convenient lie in order to get a female off your back. That's the look of a friend who is afraid of you having found out about a secret that could soil your friendship.

Now, I didn't know if it was that big of a deal or not, but I was gonna get to the bottom of it.

Later.

...well... **eventually**.

I have other things on my mind at the moment. Like listening to the brown-haired asshole talk~!

"W-Well, I noticed he was having such...a hard life before. So, I offered him a chance to come over here for a 'fresh start'...so to speak. I wasn't sure if he could handle those Puppets, but you've probably seen it yourself. This guy doesn't understand the idea that something is too big or too tough for him to take on~! Ha ha ha...ha...ha." Cameron tried to answer in as positive of a voice as I've ever heard from him. At the end, though, his confident laugh trailed off every so slightly as I stared at him. Rossweisse, though, seemed to find the forced humor he was trying to sell her...and she bought it.

Giggling into her hand, she probably thought it was a cue to try and tease me. Deadpanning at the two of them, I just sighed a bit.

"Yes, I've noticed that as well. Just the other day, he slammed the door in the face of Rias Gremory herself!" Rossweisse commented like it was a continuation of the joke, to which Cameron just guffawed at as he reached a hand over and started smacking me on the back in a very rigid way.

"Eh~? Really~? My buddy did something like **that**!? Well, I'm proud of you, dude! You could've done something a **little** more subtle, but I'm glad you've still got those 'balls of steel'! Rossweisse here will be very much satisfied~!" he stated in a very 'plastic' way, almost as if he was afraid of triggering a landmine or something.

Though, in order to get the 'heat off his back', he put in an obvious 'sex joke' in order to fluster Rossweisse.

Which, as expected, resulted in her coughing on her own spit and ceasing her laughing as she seemed shocked.

"I-I w-wasn-Oh, I'm just playing, Rossweisse~!"

"Cameron, do her a favor and shut up for a moment."

"Okay."

* * *

After taking a few more minutes to calm down, I left into the kitchen to get some snacks whilst Cameron and Rossweisse chatted about my past with the former.

Everything from us meeting due to our parents thinking, "Oh, we have two young boys who are close in age to one another. Let's introduce them and hope they'll be friends!", to us sitting on the carpeted floor of my house, playing video games on an old TV.

Seeming to be fairly interested in such things, she commented that she could picture the two of us as children playing video games together and that the image was 'pretty cute'.

I got a block of sharp cheddar cheese and a summer sausage out of the fridge. From the cabinet, I grabbed a pack of salted crackers. I sliced up several pieces of the cheese and the sausage and set them on a plate next to a few stacks of the crackers.

Picking up the plate and carrying it into the living room, I set it on the coffee table in easy reach of each of the two 'guests' (I wasn't really all that hungry).

That was when Rossweisse asked another interesting question.

"So, Mr. Cameron...I can't help but notice that you're not radiating any kind of 'aura'. For a human who so easily defeated a Devil, I can't imagine that you're a **regular** human. Would you care to explain that? Also, when I first met Mr. Douglas, he was emitting enough excess magical energy to place him above normal humans. And now, he's radiating enough to almost be at the level of a Low-Class Magician. For a human to gain so much power in just a few days is...strange. Without the help of a **[Sacred Gear]** , that is. Would you also explain that, and what kind of training he's been doing, to me as well?" Rossweisse requested, seemingly attempting to further her 'interrogation' from before.

God damn, Rossweisse...you almost seem to be laying into him by this point...

Giving me a quick glance, Cameron just gave me a good-natured smile.

"I'm pretty good at hiding my 'aura', as you refer to it. I haven't taught him how to do that yet, nor do I feel the need to. As far as his training goes, I'm basically having him bust his balls all night long in life-or-death fights against hordes of those Puppets that you got tangled up with. He's taken to it like a fish to water. Though, we'll be doing some **different** training from here on out. After all, those Puppets aren't exactly **sentient enemies**. Other than that, and him somehow learning some low-level Norse Magic, I've been having him practice swordplay a bit." he answered, clearly intending to shift the conversation back over to me...

...to which he succeeded.

"Norse Magic!? Mr. Douglas, you're learning Norse Magic? No, wait, you're still fighting those wooden monsters!?" Rossweisse asked, seemingly excited at the prospect of me learning 'Norse Magic', before remembering that I'm pitting myself against the same monsters that kidnapped her...

...only this time, I'm doing it voluntarily. Thus, she needs to 'nag' me about it.

"Uh...yeah? It's either them, or I go out and fight people on the streets. Besides, I've gotten a lot better at fighting by taking them down. Sorry for not telling you about it, even when you asked. But, Cameron told me to try and keep these kinds of things on the 'down-low'. Besides, I'm not dead, so it's fine. Also, it's only **one** low-level spell. I mean, I could learn more, but only after I learn how to fight better." I waved her off, earning a pout from the steamed silver-haired girl as she merely slumped in her chair.

Huh, nobody's touched the platter I laid out...

"Well...I suppose. A-After all, you **do** seem to have gotten a bit stronger. But, if you were doing such a **potentially** dangerous form of training, why not ask for help? I would've gladly gone with you. If nothing else, I could've kept anything terrible from happening to you should you have been **unlucky**." Rossweisse spoke, causing a small feeling of warmth to creep up from the pitch black depths of my heart.

Daaawwww~!

"R-Really now? Well...I-I'm quite thankful for your offer, Rossweisse!" I replied, gripping the arms of the chair I was in to find some kind of 'anchor' to reality. I don't want to end up appearing like a stuttering fool here, getting all excited and happy just from a cute girl offering to fight alongside me to 'keep me safe'.

"Aw~! He's bwushing~!"

And, of course, Cameron had to ruin the moment by drawing attention to whatever color may lie upon my cheeks. The infantile tone he said it in didn't help either.

Rossweisse just giggled at my embarrassment.

* * *

 **10:02 PM – 1 hour later...**

"Good night, Mr. Douglas...and you too, **Creampuff Edgelord**." Rossweisse spoke as she closed the door to her room after bidding Cameron and I 'good night'.

I made sure to give her some (rather childish, I admit) ammunition to use against Cameron.

Which works well enough, if you count the fact that he shook his fist at her as she closed the door with a triumphant smile on her face.

"One time. I named **one freaking character** that, and you still won't let me live it down..." Cameron sighed tiredly, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache.

[Gamers] don't get those. That's the joke.

Bah dum! Tss!

"Hey, if you want to have a level 116 Necromancer with level 12 'Death Seer Robes' and a level 11 'Blood Zombie Spine Staff' be named **Creampuff Edgelord** , then you're gonna have to accept the childish teasing you'll receive. Not to mention, nobody likes dicks." I replied easily, feeling a small amount of satisfaction that I might've officially gotten Rossweisse on-board with the plan to always refer to Cameron by that stupid 'username'.

It was rather refreshing actually, the talk that the three of us had. Whilst hardly anything 'gravity-defying' was discussed, it was nice to talk to both my friend from yester-year and my new friend in the same conversation. It made me feel...normal again.

But, now that it was just Cameron and I, I wanted to discuss those **important** things, as well as see about training more...

"Hey, can we **talk** now?" I asked suggestively, deciding to not beat around the bush. Cameron just nodded.

"Empty. I'll follow." he muttered softly, probably cautious as to whether or not Rossweisse might eavesdrop. I understood his message, though, and warped into an 'Empty ID' after checking that Rossweisse's door was shut.

* * *

 **[ID: Create – Empty]**

Popping into the 'Empty ID' with a very minimalistic transition, I waited for Cameron to appear in front of me again.

Within a few seconds, he did.

Getting out of our chairs, we walked into the backyard again (still through the front door, since I can't make any conspicuous changes to the house with Rossweisse around).

Standing across from each other, I saw a box of pizza randomly appear in Cameron's outstretched right-hand. Opening it up, I could smell it from here.

Stuffed crust topped with triple cheese and caramelized onions.

"Oh, das gud rye dere~..." Cameron moaned slightly as he took out a piece and bit a large wad of it off. Sloppily chewing it, he almost seemed to be making a show of eating it to me. Feeling my mouth salivate slightly from the smell, I sniffed slightly.

"Can I have a piece, man?" I requested, even though I had eaten dinner earlier with Rossweisse.

After all, no self-respecting teenage male declines the temptation that is pizza!

"Fuck that! You made a whole damn party platter **and** you left your [Crib], so screw you!" Cameron denied vehemently, using his 'telekinetic abilities' to levitate the pizza away from me.

I would've fought him on it, but he definitely had a point. Besides, I knew that I would be going against his advice when I left the house that day. If anything, I know that he would probably be worried about that.

I'll let him slide, for now. I pulled up my 'Status Screen', in order to prepare myself for the lecture on 'why I should have trained harder'...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 16, 2014 **(Canon Start: 968 days)  
** **Time:** 10:03:11 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 59  
 **EXP** : 113,488/2,150,491  
 **HP:** 1,400/1,400 (+391.3 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 1,400/1,400 (+400.3 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 350 (350+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 333 (274+59+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 300 (300+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 333 (274+59+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 120 (1+118+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

"Mm, alright then. Now, as far as my training went, I grinded with a lot of my spare time during the night. However, during the day, I've been spending time with Rossweisse since...well, you know, I want to be a good host. Even though I told her I'd be gone for a few hours at a time, I still haven't ditched her in the middle of th- **Dude** , I get it. But, let's save the talk about your 'love life' for later." Cameron cut me off as I tried to explain to him about any lack of progress I made.

Though, maybe I was a little too self-centered just now. Really, why **should** he care about stuff like that? Especially when we're getting ready to do more training?

"You made **decent** progress. You're a noob, so nobody would ever expect you to throw your personal life to the way-side in order to get as strong as possible, as quick as possible. Besides, fighting Puppets will only get you so far. Like I said to you before I left, once you get to level 60 or so, they just aren't worth enough for it to be efficient." he remarked, taking another large bite of his pizza before sighing (with the food in his mouth).

Chewing, he quickly swallowed the food before continuing.

"Now that you're almost level 60, especially so early in the game, you're gonna have a hard time leveling up. At least until you unlock another 'monster dungeon' to grind in. It works like that, and the next dungeon you get is gonna be filled with guys that give you **a lot more EXP than the Puppets do**. So, focus on finishing your [Quests] for now. And, in your downtime, you can start learning how to move and fight better, which is what we're going to focus on next." Cameron explained, before finishing off the slice of pizza in his hand before dusting them off.

...

So, the pizza box disappeared, and now Cameron is holding a long-sword with a silver hilt and a dark-blue double-edged blade. The pommel was made of a large circular sapphire. It kinda looks like **'Brisingr'** from the **Inheritance Cycle**.

"I'm gonna send you a [Duel Request] now. Accept it." Cameron ordered, shortly before a golden screen with a red aura surrounding it appeared in front of me.

* * *

 **-1v1 DUEL REQUEST-**

 **Challenger's Name:** Cameron Phillips

 **Stats: Restricted**

 **Items: OFF**

 **Weapons: ON**

 **Skills: ON**

 **Magic: ON**

 **Death: OFF**

 **Fight to: 1% HP**

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"So...we're gonna-Yes." Cameron cut me off, taking a stance with his sword. Shrugging slightly to limber up (though [Gamers] don't need to), I brought out my sword and **[Twice Critical]** before 'accepting' the [Duel Request].

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-START!-**

* * *

*DING*

Hearing a bell ring out of the middle of freaking nowhere, I prepared mysel-JESUS!?

"FU-*SCHLLICK*"

Wow...who knew having your torso get sliced clean through would hurt this much~?

"Gah! Fu-je-guh-bl..." I muttered incoherently as I fell over at the sight of my blood spraying into the air (anime style).

Landing on my back, I forced myself to breathe despite the pain I was in. Gritting my teeth, I remembered that the [Duel] was set-up so that I **wouldn't die**...

Doesn't help much with the pain of pretty much losing half your body, though...

Just then, a flashing red screen and another golden screen with a red aura popped up in front of my face...

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/1400 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"As I thought...even being restricted to the exact same 'Stats' as you have, you still weren't able to see me move. Well, that was little more than a demonstration anyways~..." Cameron laughed heartily whilst I laid on the ground in pain. Groaning at him for making my suffering into a 'side-topic', I attempted to sit up...only for the pain to convince me to rest for a few minutes.

"Fu...ck you." I mumbled, with a part of me thinking that I felt some of my intestines coming out of the hole my 'friend' made.

Giving an obvious laugh at me, I heard the sound of metal being shoved into the ground. Lifting my head up, I managed to see Cameron leaning on his sword as it was supported against the ground. He had a shit-eating grin on his face as he stared at me.

"Oh, stop whining, ya big baby~! Besides, at least now, you've had a **genuine** **experience** of someone trying to kill you. That, and maybe you'll respect me a bit more, and **possibly listen to my advice~**..." Cameron tittered, though it seems...he was still pissed at me for leaving the [Crib].

Sighing, I saw Cameron wave his left hand towards me. A green light shot from his hand and hit my torso, instantly numbing the pain a...nd stitching my torso back together.

Within a second or two, the pain I had felt was completely gone...and I could get up again without a single problem. Getting onto my feet, I just looked down at my clothes to find the blood that had soaked into them was being drawn back into my body and that the cut on my shirt was stitching itself back together (?). I also noticed that the flashing red 'Warning Screen' was dismissed.

Looking over to Cameron, I sighed.

"Dude. I'm sorry about that. I know you had a reason for telling me to stay in the [Crib], but I just fucked up again." I apologized again, trying to move on from that 'fuck-up'.

Seriously, I'm getting a bit sick and tired of it seeming like every single thing I try to do in this new life is just another 'fuck-up' on the list.

I don't try to learn everything about the [Gamer System] up-front? **I fucked up.**

I don't excessively grind in order to beat the first 'Boss ID' easy-peasy? **I fucked up.**

I didn't even try to get better at fighting when I had the chance? **I fucked up.**

I kept popping in and out of existence in the middle of a public area, even though I was under the impression that [ID: Create] and [ID: Escape] were supposed to have a 'built-in' security feature that prevented people from noticing unless I was being 'hunted'? **I fucked up.**

I walked through most of the first dungeon? **I fucked up.**

I try to do something nice and inconspicuous for a potential friend and ally? **I fucked up.**

I was born? **I fucked up.**

I breathe, eat and have a social life? **I fucked up.**

*BONK*

"Agh, damn it!?" I rubbed my head as a sharp stinging sensation was left over from Cameron 'karate-chopping' it. Looking at him, I saw nothing but the face of a concerned friend looking at me.

"Mate, don't be doing any of that 'self-deprecating shit' like you used to. Yeah, I'm pissed that you didn't listen to me, but that doesn't mean that you have to question the very foundation of your entire existence or some other sappy bullshit like that. You can say it's a learning experience or, like me, you can just fucking get over it." Cameron spoke, obviously trying to keep me from thinking **negatively**.

...

...

"Hah...let's try this again. For realsies this time." I sighed, sending him a [Duel Request] by pressing 'yes' on the screen in front of me. Grinning, Cameron took a small hop back...by about 10 feet. Settling into a stance, he nodded.

"Sure, buddy. But, you're gonna have to learn how to fight. Everyone learns the same way. By getting their ass whooped seven ways from Sunday." he joked.

Taking my own stance, and not counting on him to hold back a whole lot, I **really** braced myself for my first fight, as a [Gamer], against a **real opponent**.

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-START!-**

* * *

*DING*

Backpedaling from the moment that I heard the bell, I saw Cameron dash towards me at quite a high speed...

...much faster than I can run.

Swinging my sword horizontally at him, I also brought my **[Twice Critical]** towards my body to get ready to guard.

I guessed correctly in seeing that Cameron slunk low to the ground and ducked under my slash. He went for a vertical upwards slash, to which I continued moving back while blocking it with my **[Twice Critical]**.

I was hardly paying attention to them, but I saw the HUDs in the corners of my vision.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **HP:** 1310/1400  
 **MP:** 1400/1400

* * *

 **-Cameron Phillips-  
** **HP:** 1400/1400  
 **MP:** 1400/1400

* * *

It seemed like I still took 90 damage from blocking that swing. I also saw that Cameron had the same amount of HP and MP as I did...

Weird.

Well, there's no time to think about that at the moment!

So, I'm guessing that either Cameron knows a lot more about using the [Effort Gauge], or his sword is special in some way.

Stepping over to the left, I swung my sword down at him in a diagonal slash, to which he parried with his own sword. He pushed my sword with **much more force** than I was expecting, causing me to trip on my feet slightly to which he took advantage of by snatching the front of my shirt with his free hand and throwing me to the ground.

Hitting the ground awkwardly, landing on my stomach, I barely had enough time to try and move before I felt a searing pain enter my back and chest regions.

"Gaah!" I wheezed, feeling as if my lungs seized up and my vision blur slightly. Thinking as to what had happened, I'm almost positive that Cameron had stabbed through my chest. He may have even punctured my heart.

Then, just like last time, the same two screens popped up in front of me...

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/1400 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"Good job. When you're up against a faster opponent, it's good to step back in order to give yourself more time to react to their charge. Don't overdo it, though, or you'll end up ruining your composure and stance right when they get to you. Also, don't swing your sword around while letting its weight decide its trajectory. Be in control of your blade at all times, or else the opponent can put you off balance like I just did." Cameron explained calmly, not even batting an eyelash at me as he kept his sword firmly planted inside of my body.

"No...noted." I affirmed to him, bracing my hands against the ground and getting ready to push myself back up. If I can't die right now...then I just have to deal with this ungodly pain. But, I should still be able to...

"Whoa, hold on there, buddy~." Cameron halted me, cleanly tugging his sword out of my body, causing another spike of pain to course through my chest region as I gripped the grass growing underneath my hands so hard I managed to pull up clumps of dirt along with the plants.

"Fuck!" I groaned out shortly before I felt Cameron use his healing magic on me again.

Standing up again, I looked back towards him to see him standing ten feet away again in a 'ready stance'. Taking a deep breath, I settled into my stance again before sending him another [Duel Request]...

* * *

"Ba-haa!"

"Spread your legs and lower your body more!"

* * *

"Doh!"

"Don't show your back to your enemy!"

* * *

"Ooohhh..."

"Good try with that punch! But, don't think that the other person won't expect it!"

* * *

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

"[Gamers] don't follow common sense! The high place is usually the hardest place to defend! You may be able to strike harder, but your legs are wide open for me to hit!"

* * *

"Hee...hoo...hee...hoo..."

"Use your size to your advantage! When your shorter you can push against the ground for leverage! When your larger, attacking the other person's sides will often yield better results!"

* * *

"Fuuuuuck..."

"Leaping is dangerous if you don't think about an opponent's counter-strategy!"

* * *

"Blegh!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! YOU FUCKING TRIPPED!"

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy (General POV)**

 **August 17, 2014 - 8:15 AM – 10 Hours Later...**

"..."

"..."

Sitting in a luxurious chair behind a mahogany desk, a crimson-haired girl's glistening aqua-marine eyes were locked in an intense stare-down with the eyes of the only other person in the room.

Standing in the middle of the dimly lit room, directly in front of the crimson-haired girl's desk, was another teenage girl. Her black hair, short and styled in a bob, shined slightly from the orange candlelight that graced the desktop. Her purple eyes were hard as amethyst behind her pink-rimmed glasses as a stern glare rested on the crimson-haired girl across from her.

Both girls were dressed similarly, being in a white short-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, a black button-down corset, and a magenta skirt with white accents.

 **(((Note: Kuoh Academy Female Summer Uniform)))**

"So, Rias...you say that a **human** , who defeated your [Queen] easily, appeared in our shared territory and you **haven't** reported it?" the black-haired girl asked, crossing her arms over her rather 'modest' chest.

Rias just sighed at her friend's apparent lack of understanding when it comes to this matter.

"Sona, trust me, okay? Landing a sneak-attack on a member of my Peerage isn't enough to warrant a **report**. I'll find him and punish him properly, along with obtaining any information needed concerning who he is and how he got here. I already made contact with an associate of his. That associate is surely going to lead us to the mongrel who attacked Akeno." Rias confidently tried to assure the other girl, linking her fingers together while setting her elbows on her desk.

Sighing slightly, 'Sona' deadpanned at Rias.

"Rias, this is not a matter of your foolish pride. I don't know who this 'associate' is, but we have strict orders to not stir up trouble with the humans in this city. We've only been governing this area for the last six months. If we rock the boat too much, we'll **both** be confined to the Underworld. Not only that, but our parents will be **even** **more pushy** concerning our 'responsibilities' as heiresses." Sona attempted to reason with her proud friend.

Honestly, she pretty much knows that she's really trying to talk with a brick wall, but she cares about the other girl...so she'll at least give it the good old 'college try'.

"And what if we report this? If we're shown to cower at the mention of a **human** , then we'll be sent back anyways. Thus, we're on our own. I'll handle this, Sona. I promise."

"..."

With a glint in her eyes, Sona merely stared into Rias's own as she saw that her friend is **extremely confident** in this matter.

Though, in all honesty, why shouldn't she be? Perhaps Rias was right, and the human simply 'got the drop' on Akeno, as it were. After all, a few rare and talented humans have made names for themselves in the supernatural world. It's not **impossible** for them to take down a Devil, in certain scenarios...

...

However, Sona had quite a terrible feeling about this particular 'case'. She resolved herself to not send a report just yet, though she certainly wasn't going to entrust this matter to Rias alone. Even if it was **her** Peerage member that got attacked, this territory is **theirs**.

She'd inform her own Peerage about this, and they'll take measures to ensure that this town remain peaceful.

Besides, if a powerful human really **has** shown up, then she might have a potential recruit later on down the road.

So, settling on her plans, Sona left the room without another word...

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib**

 **8:41 AM – 24 Minutes Later...**

"So, this is my bed."

"Dude...this has a [Comfort Level] of one."

"Yeah, and?"

...

Seeing my friend stare at me in concern was a lot more confusing and nerve-wracking than I thought it would be. Reaching towards my head, he grasped it firmly between both of his hands.

Then, he seemed to attempt to speak directly to my cranium like it had a consciousness of its own...

"Doug's brain? When you were reincarnated, did you become retarded/masochistic? Or, has Doug always been a major 'M'? Doesn't he realize that the 'one' actually **means something**? Like, 'this bed will give you muscle aches, cramps, and even go so far as to slide your vertebral discs out of place'? Can you please pass on the message that repeated use of these kinds of beds, despite the 'buffs' they give him, aren't fucking worth it? Or, please caution him to limit the use of them to 'once every week' or so. Yeah, do that. Because I'm really fucking concerned for my friend's health and want him to stop being a retarded masochist. Thank you for listening, Doug's brain. Also, tell him that he **does** have a chance with the ladies, and that he should totally bang that silver-haired chick in the other room. He's not exactly shy, but he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence. He could totally get some of that action, he just needs to believe in himself a little more. I'd like to be called 'Uncle Cam' by my buddy's children. Also, if any of them are a girl and she grows up to be a total babe, please let me date her. I know it would be kind of weird, but that just adds to the novelty of it. I ask these things of you, Doug's Brain, because you're the only one I can count on to help me with this jackass."

I couldn't remember the last time I felt this much pure raw anger and rage. Even being shot in the knee by those Archers didn't put me into this state.

I have hereby invented a new level of 'pissed the fuck off'. What shall I call it?

"MMPH!? FMAFMM! BAMFLALMFLLLAM!?"

I don't know what I'm gonna call it, because Cameron has decided that he **needed** to say all of that, and has thus wrapped his arm around my head and covered my mouth with his hand.

Rubbing my hair in a mocking/soothing manner, Cameron just 'hushed' me like a mother to her baby.

"Ssh...there, there. We're gonna get you the help you need, buddy. You're gonna be alright. Maybe someday, you'll finally settle down with that nice girl in the other room. Then, you can have babies and everything will be wonderful and happy. I know you wanna be happy, buddy. I'm gonna help ya. Don't worry."

"ASDMMMHGP! FMMAAMFL! PMALALAMDL! DFMDFLAOTI!"

* * *

 **8:50 AM - 6 Minutes Later...**

"Ahh...but seriously, you don't need to rely on these things to help you grind. I get where you're coming from, **believe me** , but you're gonna hate yourself if you sleep on these things more than two or three times a week. Also, at the level it's at, you'd have to **diligently** train for more than ten out of the twelve hours for it to even produce a positive end result." Cameron reasoned, patting my shoulder as he stared at the bed with an almost heated glare.

Looking at him, I could only vaguely guess that he has a bit of experience with these things. Raising my eyebrow, I asked him a question.

"So, like, what happens if you sleep on this for a night, but then you sleep on a super comfy bed the next night?" I asked. Cameron just sighed.

"Honestly? It'll help fix you up quicker, but the end result would be that you'd be wasting eight or so hours of your life. If you can't deal with the pain, then it's nice to get rid of it with a higher-quality bed. But, that's **time** that you're spending in order to not put up with pain and discomfort. Now, it sounds like a waste if you put it like that, but it also plays a part in how much fun you have with the [Game]. Imagine if you were playing a video game, but you were sitting on a bed of spikes. How much fun is the game? How interested in playing are you?" he explained.

It was at that point that I understood what this really was...

If you want to get good really fast, then use it.

If you want to enjoy your life, then don't.

I imagine that most people, though, would agree with me that the best way to go about doing this...

"So...once a week? And with as good of a 'buff' as I can get?" I asked, already proposing my plan to Cameron. He just sighed again before nodding.

"Yeah, that'd work. We'll train the rest of the time. And, when you **do** have the 'buff', I won't let you waste **any** time unless it's an absolute emergency. I love you, bro, and I don't want to see you commit suicide because your poop starts coming out sideways. Don't worry about being seen as a 'pussy' either. **Nobody** likes to sleep on these things." he agreed, although with a bit of hesitation.

So, I guess it was settled. I'll go ahead and sleep on a higher-level bed than this tonight. That way, Cameron can help me grind as much as possible tomorrow. I'll try to explain this to Rossweisse, simply because I don't believe that it would be proper to up and leave her alone for a day without due notice.

Patting my shoulder meaningfully, Cameron left my house without another word.

I guess he doesn't want to be around Rossweisse a whole lot when she knows of the **Creampuff Edgelord**.

So, going into my 'Crib Screen', I looked at how much it would cost to 'upgrade' my [Crib], since I have to do that to gain access to beds that give me better 'buffs'...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland's Crib-  
** **-Residents: Douglas Roland  
** **-Location: Kuoh, Japan  
** **-Allow Guests: Friends Only**

 **-Crib LVL: 3  
** **+Upgrade Crib – Costs 200,000 Yen. Gain 15 'Crib Store Tokens'.**

 **+Renovation Mode  
** **+Crib Options**

* * *

Ah, so every 'level up' my [Crib] gets makes the **cost** to 'upgrade' it to the next level **double**. And, I always gain five more 'Tokens' than the amount I gained from the previous 'level' every time I 'level up' my [Crib].

Neat!

Now, to look into my 'Inventory' to find out how much money I have.

* * *

 **-Inventory-**

 **Money (Yen):** 1,348,270

* * *

Hm...well, that's not too awful shabby considering I've gone into the 'Puppet ID' around a hundred times so far...

However, remembering that I did that made me remember that I haven't cashed in all of the loot I got from beating thousands of Puppets to death!

* * *

 **-Inventory-**

 **+Wooden Club – Qty: 12,991 – Rarity: Common  
** **-Price (Selling): (300 Yen)  
** **-Type: Club  
** **-Power: +3 STR  
** **-Durability: 50/50**

 **+Wooden Bow – Qty: 10,456 – Rarity: Common  
** **-Price (Selling): (300 Yen)  
** **-Type: Bow  
** **-Power: +3 STR  
** **-Durability: 30/30**

 **+Ragged Cloth (Red) – Qty: 18,422 – Rarity: Common  
** **-Price (Selling): (200 Yen)  
** **-Type: Cloak/Cape  
** **-Toughness: +1 END  
** **-Durability: 20/20**

* * *

Yep, just gonna sell all dis shee-it~!

After about a minute, I looked at my 'updated' checking account...

* * *

 **-Inventory-**

 **Money (Yen):** 12,066,770

* * *

Cha-ching~!

Alrighty, now to purchase the best [Crib] I can!

Let's count how much money I'm throwing down the drain~!

-200,000 Yen

-400,000 Yen

-800,000 Yen

-1,600,000 Yen

-3,200,000 Yen

I'm crying on the inside, but it doesn't matter because I now have a level 8 [Crib]!

Uuuhuuhuu...

I also have quite a few **Medicinal Herbs** that I could sell in order to get enough money to upgrade my [Crib] again, but I decided against it. Judging from the pattern of the last few beds, it would probably only give me another **0.5x** increase in EXP.

However, something that I realized over the past few days is that just because Cameron is here helping me right now, doesn't mean that I'll always be able to rely on him. Eventually, I'm gonna have to stand on my own two feet.

Plus, I like the feeling of having pocket money that I can spend on...'outings'. Or, on food.

Food is good.

Another thought is that the **Medicinal Herbs** , since they're a 'healing item', might have an efficient use later on down the line. Even if it comes out as me being able to brew my own **Potions** at some point, that would still be incredibly beneficial.

Now, for the bed...

* * *

 **+Enchanted Full-Size Bed  
** **-Type: Sleeping Furniture  
** **-Level: 8  
** **-Comfort Level: 1/10 (Horrible)  
** **-Enchantment Slots: 7/7**

 **-Enchantment Types-  
** **+7 Amateur EXP Plus Enchantments (4.5x EXP for 12 hours after waking)**

* * *

Purchasing the bed and replacing it with the one I already have, I merely needed to waste the day away before going into hardcore training tomorrow...

* * *

 **August 18, 2016 – 5:31 AM – 21 Hours Later**

"Fuuuuuck meeeee..."

"Told ya."

As I cut down the final Puppet Archer in area number 30, the area I usually stop in before re-loading the 'ID' to go through it again, I **felt** the truth behind Cameron's warnings...

Before I slept in the bed, I could swing my sword easily. However, now it feels like I'm swinging a gigantic block of lead around. My triceps also feel **really stiff** , and it stings whenever I move my arms in any meaningful way. My back...

...good lord, my back...

It feels like barbed wire is in between each individual bone and muscle sinew in my back. Whenever I try to move, the grating pain of my back aches make me pause for a moment.

My legs felt like jelly, which made walking all the way through this 'ID' take a hell of a lot longer than it usually did.

Yeah, **walking**. Like hell am I running right now!

"Okay, so...ngh, [Gamer's Body] get's rid of fatigue, yeah?" I asked, trying to make sense of this pain. Cameron just gave me a bitter smile.

"Keeps you from getting tired, sure. But, the reason why it hurts so much to sleep on those beds is because the [System] is trying to make you pay for those 'buffs'. Now, it doesn't exactly care that you're trying to get stronger, but there has to be a price for such a convenient 'buff' like that, right? Mainly because any [Competitive Gamer] would jump at these things if it was that easy. But, as you are currently experiencing, it sucks major balls to sleep on those beds." he responded, gesturing for us to walk into the next area.

...oh yeah...I haven't gone past the final area with the Puppet Archers before...

...huh...

"So...the way you talked about it, the pain and stiffness multiply the more you do it?"

"Yeah. Mainly if you do it without any significant break in between uses. You're gonna feel like this for a few days. However, if you want to get rid of it, then get a comfier bed and sleep in that. Also, don't feel as if you have to keep on grinding on these weak enemies. You're gonna be getting another 'dungeon' before too long. The enemies in that dungeon will give you a hell of a lot more EXP than these guys, even with that 'buff' being active. However..." Cameron had answered my question, though he seemed to ponder on something at the end.

"...if we're gonna be doing this any more, then you'll probably be better off on using your 'Magic' to fight. I'll go ahead and hold them down and you smoke 'em. We won't be turning back anymore, since you're on that 'buff'. To make the most of it, we'll keep going till the end. You still have those **Mana Potions** I got you, right?" he asked.

I just nodded, before cringing at the ache in my neck.

"Yeah, I figured we'd be doing something like that again at some point."

Walking to the next area, I saw that it was slightly different than the ones before.

Namely that along the edges of the circular arena were about six tree-stands mounted about fifteen feet high with walkways connecting all of them together them. The tree stands were connected to the foliage surrounding the arena, so I assume that enemies will pop out of there as well.

Once I set foot in the arena, I noticed that there were a couple of ladders that I could probably climb to get on the walkways connecting the tree-stands.

I also noticed that there were a large number of Soldiers and Puppets coming from the tree-line on ground level, and it kind of clicked with me.

"So they're mixing it up, huh? It looks like the number of them is also increasing from the maximum number of enemies in the last zone. I can already guess what those tree-stands are fo-Yep! There are the mother fucking Archers!" I commented, before interrupting myself when I saw Archers coming out of the tree-stands with their bows at the ready.

Cameron just chuckled.

"Yeah. All of these dungeons will follow this pattern. They'll introduce a few different enemies before putting you through a zone or two of them being mixed up. Then, they'll introduce even stronger enemies later on. It's meant to give you experience fighting against REAL mobs. After all, you can't always expect to fight an entire group of guys who fight the same exact way as their friends, right? You'll usually have vanguards, snipers, mages, and artillery to deal with in most battles. It's kind of the [System]'s way of paying respect to the 'Strategy/War'-genre of gaming." Cameron explained calmly as the large group of Soldiers and Puppets continued to run at us.

Considering that they're still the same strength as their 'level 10' counterparts that I've beaten the crap out of several times by now, I simply held up my left hand and started spamming [Arrow of Fire] at them.

Considering that my MAG is at **333** , I'm probably doing upwards of 2,000 damage to these guys with each individual arrow. I'm only a little sad that when the arrows explode it doesn't cause damage to surrounding enemies.

Though, perhaps when I level up the ability, it'll do that.

Continuing to pelt the enemies on the ground with my 'Magic', I took out a **Mana Potion** from my 'Inventory' and drank it whilst continuing to shoot more [Arrows of Fire].

I was making 'okay' headway against the large group of enemies, but I noticed that they were steadily closing in on us. However, once they got within fifteen feet of us, they all stopped moving. I figured that Cameron would keep holding them at that distance while I continued to mow them down.

I also noticed that the Archers had begun firing arrow after arrow at us, though they all seemed to hit an invisible shield and bounce off harmlessly.

"Man, it's been so long since I fought such pitiful monsters. I barely even have to pay attention and they're completely immobilised~!" Cameron tittered, holding up a 'peace sign' as he blew a raspberry at the Puppets he was forcibly holding back with whatever ability he had.

"Well, that's a no-brainer. What kinds of monsters do **you** fight?" I responded in kind, though I was certainly curious as to the answer to that question. Cameron just hummed slightly before smirking at me.

"Well, if you ever rise up to be a [Hardcore Gamer], you won't really be worried about this tedious grinding. I focus more on [Quests] and leveling up my abilities than I do on grinding. [Hardcore Gamers], for that reason, form [Guilds]. It's basically a place where we can get access to as many [Quests] as we could ever want. It's also a good way to meet other skilled players. Though, to answer your question...well, the last time that I actually focused on **this** kind of grinding, I was fighting these giant humanoid creatures called 'Titans'. They had really powerful 'Magic' attacks and defenses, not to mention that their 'Stat Averages' were in the tens of billions. They'd stand no chance against me now, though." Cameron explained, though it seems like he was recalling a few fond memories at the same time.

As he was talking, I continued focusing on mowing down the group of enemies...which was now down to about five Soldiers and eight Puppets.

Sheesh...

Drinking another **Mana Potion** , I took all of them down easily. After that, I looked up to find that there were twenty Archers scattered around the raised platforms.

I was about to attempt to snipe at them, before Cameron just coughed.

"Let's not waste time on target practice. I'll just pull them down for ya." he cut me off, before forcibly yanking all twenty of the Archers off their perches and having me go 'firing squad' on them as well.

"Besides the tight leather and the dancing, I feel like I'm slowly becoming a Nazi." I remarked as I callously murdered the poor Archers (still hate them) without a care in the world. Cameron just sighed.

"An RPG to your face is all you need to fix that problem."

"That would kill me."

"Yes. Yes it would."

"You don't like ze Nazi-jokes?"

"I've simply lost interest in them. They get old after a while."

"Noted."

And so, with that small tangent, Cameron and I continued onward through the areas, facing a greater and greater amount of enemies each time.

Though, now that I know more about what it feels like to be under this 'buff' multiple times in a single week, I'll certainly be cutting down on how much I grind like this.

Seriously, my back is fucking killing me right now...

* * *

 **6:14 AM – 38 Minutes Later**

"Okay, so let me see if I have my math right. Going from the first area to this final area for this zone, the amount of enemies I've killed is: 113, 135, 159, 185, 213, 243, 275, 309, 345, 383. Also, the types of enemies I killed are roughly the same. 786 Puppets, 787 Soldiers and 787 Archers...I also have a '4.5x buff' for the EXP...that brings me to around 1,062,315 EXP. Is that right?"

"Yep! Pretty much~!"

"Okay, so what's the next area gonna be like?" I asked, having just checked my math with Cameron again. We had just finished going through the final area for the 'mixed' zone, and are now heading towards the next zone.

Seeing Cameron's smirk didn't make me feel optimistic.

"It's the same~!" he announced as we set foot in the next area, only for me to recognize it as being eerily similar to the previous zone's first area...

...

"Oh...you were expecting something different, huh? Well, just think about the enemies you fought in the 'Boss ID' and translate it to these zones. The 'mob monsters' you fought were the Puppets, Soldiers, and Archers, right?" Cameron asked as I had already started on mowing down the large mob of Soldiers and Puppets coming at us.

As we followed our strategy for taking down these guys, he continued with his explanation.

"After that, the next strongest enemy you fought was the Warrior. But, he was level 7 whereas the Archers were level 3, right? That means that you're gonna be fighting these guys like this for three whole zones before you fight against the Warriors. You've already gotten through one and now we're on the second. After that, though, you're gonna enter the zone that has the Enhanced Warrior in it. Then, it'll be a zone that mixes them together, before you get to the zone where the Kings are. Do you get what I'm saying here?" he explained, not even slowing down in order to focus on stopping the enemies in their tracks once they were close to us. As I continued massacring them, I sighed slightly.

"Yeah. I do. But, what's past the Kings?" I pressed, wondering if the dungeon just stops or there's another enemy beyond them. Cameron just shrugged.

"I don't know." he admitted plainly. Knowing this guy, I won't be getting any answer beyond that. So, I simply shut my mouth and continued slaughtering Puppets.

We settled into a rather comfortable silence after that. Cameron simply went along with me and helped me grind, and I just kept quiet while pelting the enemies with [Arrows of Fire] and drinking **Mana Potion** after **Mana Potion**.

I know that I'm hurting my [Magic Regenerator] ability by relying on them, but the rate that I'm gaining EXP seems to make it worth it. Not to mention that I'm still attempting to make it to where I'm always naturally regenerating MP between areas at the very least.

I've also gone into my options to set it so that my 'no-level-cap' abilities [Magic Regenerator], [Health Regenerator], [Observe] and [ID: Create] don't show notifications when they level up. Simply because it got annoying to see them pop up every 15 to 20 seconds. Not to mention that it's not important to always keep track of what level they are. They'll still work the same no matter what. And, should I ever desire to look up their levels, I can just do so through the 'Skill/Magic Screen'.

* * *

 **7:16 AM – 1 Hour Later**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Dark Puppet Warrior  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 17  
 **HP:** 2,500/2,500  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 300  
 **END:** 250  
 **AGI:** 300  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"PewPewPewPewPewPew~!" I rattled off as I shot two arrows at each of the three Warriors that showed up from the tree-line in the smaller circular area we arrived in after going through the two zones full of mixed 'mob monsters'.

I was mildly surprised to find that they didn't even attempt to dodge my attacks as they ran straight toward us, **Wooden Swords** and **Wooden Shields** in hand.

And so, without even needing Cameron to hold them down for me, I disposed of the three Warriors quickly.

"Good to know that you used your head a bit. Alright, moving on." Cameron commented, already walking to the next area. I just smiled at one of the few compliments I've received from my friend since I became a [Gamer]...before cringing again when I felt another pang in my back.

Gah, my fucking back! I swear that I'm gonna get a good bed when I get out of here, because this pain is fucking ridiculous!

* * *

 **7:49 AM – 32 Minutes Later**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** (Enhanced) Dark Puppet Warrior  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 18  
 **HP:** 4,000/4,000  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 1200  
 **END:** 500  
 **AGI:** 50  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"Again, pewpewpewpewpewpew~!" I muttered, trying to find a little enjoyment in my life by making childish laser sounds as I fire off six [Arrows of Fire] at the three Enhanced Warriors coming at me.

Once they turned into piles of smoking vapor, I sighed slightly before turning to Cameron.

"You know, just one of those guys gave me such a hard time like...6 days ago? Seriously, he almost freaking killed me. Now, though, even without **[Twice Critical]** , I can roast three of them easy peasy." I commented, having a feeling of nostalgia wash through me from the...'fond' memories of almost dying.

Cameron just nodded.

"Yep. We always remember stuff like that. I remember, back when I was first starting out, my first dungeon had these Lizard-Men in it. The higher-level ones had different colored scales. Red, then blue, then yellow, then black was the 'boss'. I had a particularly nasty run in with these eight Blue Lizard-Men. Their schtick was that they could kinda camouflage themselves, but you could still clearly see their outlines. Now, since I wasn't good at fighting yet, they got me in a wide open area, kinda like a desert. They ganged up on me and I barely scraped by because I had picked up, like, a few hundred pieces of gravel and just started chucking them at the bastards." Cameron shared in the nostalgia-trip.

That's a cool thing about best friends. Even if you weren't there with them, you can just kinda sense the vibes they give off and feel for them. Not to mention that I can literally picture a much-less confident Cameron chucking rocks at humanoid beasts with reptilian attributes.

I checked my EXP as well, to see how much those Enhanced Warriors gave me, and found that they each gave me 11,250 EXP...

...holy fuck. That means that, regularly, they'd give me 2,500 EXP a piece!

"M'kay, so I should'a been fighting **these** guys up till now, is that what you're tellin' me?" I asked the screen sarcastically due to the fact that I literally just gained the EXP of killing 375 'level 10' Puppets within seconds.

This is bullshit~! Bullshit that I like~!

"Hm? You're excited about **that**? Heh, you're pretty cute, aren't ya~?" Cameron mocked, looking over my shoulder whilst giggling like a little schoolgirl.

"NUT SHO-Blegh!" I called out, trying to throw an uppercut at Cameron's groin with my left fist whilst turning around, only to find myself being tripped up and made to eat dirt.

"...now, whilst I'm curious as to **why the hell** you thought you could pull that age-old trick on me, I must first announce thAT I FREAKING GOTCHU~!"

* * *

 **9:01 AM – 1 Hour 10 Minutes later...**

If this were a bad Fanfiction story, I wonder if it would be pacing itself well. I mean, up until now, I've mostly been doing rather repetetive stunts, and fighting these guys isn't very interesting considering that if they happen to get close to us, Cameron will just hold them down and let me slaughter them like pigs.

I'd probably still be stuck on fighting against the Warriors if I had been on my own. It would be a bit of a problem to fight against multiple enemies that are pretty much as fast as I am.

But, moving on...

We finally made it to the final 'zone'...

...where I will face the Kings once again...

"Dude, why'd ya stop?"

"Eh, just savoring the moment. The last King I faced was a bit of a 'vague asshole', so I'd like to prepare my comebacks to an-Shut up and come on."

You know, I get really nettled when you cut me off like that, bro...

Following Cameron into the final zone, I saw that the first area was moderately spaced out. Whereas usually the first area in other areas (sans the 'mixed' areas) were about 10 meters in diameter, this one is around 50 meters in diameter.

Stepping into the area, I didn't see the Kings walking out of the tree-line. Feeling an elbow prod at my side, I looked over to find Cameron staring into the sky.

Looking up...I saw three 'Odolwas' falling towards the earth.

Using [Observe] on one of them...

* * *

 **Name:** Dark Puppet King  
 **Race:** Boss Monster

 **LVL:** 20  
 **HP:** 10,000/10,000  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 3,000  
 **END:** 1,500  
 **AGI:** 1,100  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

Hm...

...

Hmmmm...

...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

I'll just bring up my 'Status Screen' to do a **quick** comparison...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 18, 2014 **(Canon Start: 966 days)  
** **Time:** 9:02:10 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human):** +2 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 67  
 **EXP** : 5,222,159/9,246,799  
 **HP:** 2,000/2,000 (+512.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 2,000/2,000 (+530.6 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 684 (684+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 518 (451+67+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 647 (647+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 671 (604+67+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 136 (1+134+1)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

Ah...yeah...the amount of 'Stat Points' I get per level up tripled from level 60 onward. Also, I got 80 extra points of HP/MP and 15 extra points in each 'regen rate'.

I'm gonna get a lot stronger, a lot faster~...

Bringing out my **[Twice Critical]** and activating it, I begun the battle calmly and rationally...

 **[Boost]**

"PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW!" I valiantly cried out as I preemptively struck with my [Arrows of Fire] against the Kings the moment they touched ground. I felt the tremors through the dirt, but that only encouraged me to shoot at them more.

Considering that these idiots didn't dodge them, I was pretty successful at ending the battle within 5 seconds or so.

"Pfft~!"

"You shut up. They were, like, eight times stronger than I was. Besides, 'vague asshole', remember?" I hushed Cameron, who was literally a hair's breadth away from laughing at me for my little 'outburst'.

"You forgot to go 'Kyaa~!'"

"I will kick you in the dick one day."

"I'd personally enjoy watching you try, '~wittle puttytat~'."

On a side note, a 'level 10' version of the King, under the 'buff, gives me **27,000 EXP** when I kill it. That's the same as killing 900 regular Puppets without the 'buff'.

...

To quote a song that accurately portrays my feelings right now (besides wanting to kick Cameron in the dick)...

* * *

-Oh My Fucking God~, Fucking Puppet Kings~, Holy Shit~, What the FUUUuuuuUUUUck~!-

 **(((Sorry, just felt the need to put this in here :p)))**

* * *

Well, let's get cracking on these 'mo-fos'!

After all, once we get through the dungeon once, we can go through it again!

Even if it's not entirely 'efficient' to grind on these guys, it will still help to get stronger quicker~!

I've been feeling this, pretty much ever since we started going through this 'special grinding'...but...I don't think I'm gonna have a problem with the Gremory Peerage after a few more weeks~!

* * *

 **9:48 AM – 45 Minutes Later...**

...

"Well, I told you that it would most likely be a prize." Cameron commented as I stared at the sight in front of me.

After going through and defeating 357 more Puppet Kings, we've arrived at a small grotto...with a single wooden chest in it.

"..." I silently approached the chest. It stood as tall as my waist, so it was a pretty good size. There were a few metal rings on the front and the lid where you'd slide a pad-lock into to secure it. However, there was no lock.

Good thing, too. After all, I wouldn't have the key.

Kneeling in front of the chest, I grasped the lid with both of my palms. Giving a hearty push, the lid jerked free and started lifting up...

"dodododododododODODODODODODODODODO~!?"

Providing the sound effect of opening up a chest from 'LoZ: OoT/MM', was my brown-haired best friend who obviously understood what class was...

...even though he also didn't understand the meaning of the word 'cheesy'.

Ah well, it's not like I didn't appreciate it. Lifting open the lid all the way and pushing it back to rest on its haunches, I looked inside the chest to find...

To find...

 **TO FIND**...

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I may have had something notable to say at one point, but I forgot. So, I'll just take this moment to truly thank everyone for reading and send an extra special shout-out to all those who've reviewed my story. The ride is fun, and it shall continue.**

 **I'd say sorry for taking a break, but I'm not. I don't want to stop writing this fic, so please take solace in that. However, real life doesn't particularly care what I want, so I may end up taking another break or two later on down the road.**

 **So...yeah.**

 **To everyone in the US, Happy Independence Day!**

 **To everyone else, have a nice whatever-holiday-you-have Day!**

 **(((Oh, and by the way, there's an Easter egg in this chapter. It may be a bit of a dick move, but I'd challenge anyone to find it and PM me if you do. It's somewhat obscure, so you have to look closely~!)))**

 **Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!**


	11. Chapter 8 - An Oddly Normal Week (Pt 3)

**So, this will ABSOLUTELY be the last part of Chapter 8!**

 **I hope you people LOVE DIALOGUE! Because I'm about to give you a WHOLE LOT OF IT!**

 **Note: I've gone back and edited out the beginning and ending skit/announcement type things from all the other chapters. It was getting to be a pain in my neck to write those. It got especially bad around Chapter 6, when I had the entire chapter except for those parts done but felt like I couldn't publish it unless I wrote in those parts. So, I won't be doing those anymore. YAY!**

 **Note #2: I have started to gutlessly flip-flop on whether or not I'll add Issei to the story. His scheduled entrance is still a ways off, but after looking through my plans for him, I'm just not sure if I'm feeling it. I'll keep updates on the down-low and will try to keep from spoiling anything, but I'm mainly putting this here for the record. And so that, should I decide to not include Issei in this fic, nobody can say that I'm going back on my word with no warning.**

 **Note #3: I'll go ahead and say that, if anyone is confused about how Douglas Roland looks, just imagine Matsuoka Masamune. He's a little younger and skinnier-looking than that right now, but when canon starts he'll be that guy's spitting image.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 (Part 3): An Oddly Normal Week (FINALE)**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib - Backyard**

 **August 20, 2014 - 7:21 AM – 1 day, 21.5 Hours Later...**

*swish* *swish* *clink* *clang*  
*swish* *clang* *swish* *swish*  
*clink* *swish* *clang* *swish*  
*clang* *swish* *swish* *clink*  
*clink* *clang* *swish* *clink*  
*swish* *clink* *clang* *swish*

*clang* *clang*

*schlick*

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/2,240 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-  
** **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-  
** **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"Hoo~! You were going pretty good there~! Compared to twenty rounds ago, your movements got a hell of a lot better! You lasted **six whole seconds** ~! Why's that, I wonder?" Cameron praised, before seemingly pondering as to why I was able to last so long against him during our most recent duel.

"Hagh, kah!?"

"Oh, right~! The, uh, sword in your throat might hinder your ability to speak. Here, lemme just..." Cameron seemed to notice my predicament before carelessly ripping his sword out of my windpipe/spinal cord.

Sending his healing magic at me, I waited before voicing my opinion (you know, so that it doesn't come out as a pain-ridden garbled mess).

"Ngh...well, I just kept feeling like...you know, you were so much faster than I was, even though our 'Stats' were set to the same amounts. It kinda made me think that I was...sort of...I don't know... **screwing up**? Like I was...anyways, long story short, I was really just trying to copy how **you** moved a bit is all. It seems I did **something** right, since I lasted **a lot** longer this time." I replied, though a part of me didn't want to share the truth with my friend, since I still wasn't entirely sure of it myself...

Cameron gave me a weird glance before he sighed and put his sword away.

That damned sword of his...I checked it earlier, and...

* * *

 **+Iron Claymore (Blue) – Rarity: Common  
** **-Price (Selling): 2,000 Yen  
** **-Type: Sword  
** **-Power: +10 STR  
** **-Durability: 100/100**

* * *

IT'S NOT SPECIAL AT ALL!

This asshole gave me a super durable sword, yet has been fighting me with a spray-painted hunk of regular ass iron. Not only that, he's been consistently bending me over and **raping** me sideways ever since our first duel with that fucking toothpick!

Cameron's good. 'Nuff said.

"You weren't **screwing up** anything. It's only been eight days since you became a [Gamer]. The [Dis-Connect] is still affecting you. It's **natural** to need at least a few weeks to get accustomed to fighting. Sure, it'll take a lot more time and experience to truly become **good** at it, but you're making adequate progress. And, just as an ego booster, I'm not holding back nearly as much as you assume I am. You're better than you think, Doug." Cameron explained, crossing his arms as he stared at me with a level expression.

...

"Well, considering that your 'silver-haired princess' is leaving around noon, and that I have other shit to do at the moment, we'll stop here for the night. I'll come by after she leaves, in order to give you two some privacy. Remember about my **advice** , man." Cameron spoke, making sure to remind me **again** about **one little feature** in the [Game].

...

After he said that, Cameron vanished as he left to go back to the real world. Not wanting to reappear outside of my house while I'm being scoped out by the Devils, I made my way back inside.

Going into my room, I 'popped' back into the real world without a sound, before leaving my room all 'normal-like'. I sat down in my chair silently. I would've turned on the TV, but this was a rather unique chance that I've rarely had for the past week.

Peace and quiet.

Now, I enjoy Rossweisse's company, and being around Cameron is fun as always (even if he's usually ramming his sword up my ass), but I'll be damned if I say that times like these aren't welcome to me.

Soaking in the soothing silence that the early morning brings, I started to think abo-*knock* *knock* *knock*

...

...

...

...aaaaAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGBBL **BLBLLBLLLBLBLBLBLLGHAALDSFASDLF**!

...

Getting up to answer the door, I suppose it was mildly surprising...to see a slightly familiar black-haired teenage girl wearing a black t-shirt with purple frills around its low-dipping neckline and sleeves. Covering her shapely legs were skinny blue jeans. Around her neck were a few bead necklaces. On her feet, were the same pair of exotic wooden shoes that she wore on **that day**...

"...G-Good morning, Mr. Douglas."

Wow. This is one chick I didn't think **had** a 'nervous bone'.

Standing on my front porch, was none other than Akeno Himejima.

Considering that Cameron and Rossweisse double-teamed me, and basically demanded that I at least **try** to talk to Rias's Peerage, I think it should be pretty obvious as to **why** I removed their names from the 'black-list'...

...well... **most** of their names.

I refuse to speak with Rias herself. Call it what you want, but I'm not going to stand here and listen to a spoiled bitch scream at me like she fucking **owns** the air I breathe.

However, I promised those two that I'd give it a shot.

Besides, when I read the light novels, I didn't have as much of a problem with most of Rias's Peerage.

But, back to the present, and to the girl standing in front of me who is nervously grasping her hands together in front of her as her trembling gaze is meeting my steady (and kinda stoic) expression.

"To you as well, Ms. Himejima. What brings you here, all on your lonesome?" I responded in a crisp tone, though I gave her a clear hint to not beat around the bush with me.

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she seemed to be trying to work up the courage to say something.

"S-Straight to the point, is it? Very well. I don't wish to waste your time, nor offend you in anyway, so I'll do my best to be as clear and concise as I can." Akeno replied, showing something that I haven't seen even once from her since I met her.

Sincerity.

It's a feeling that someone is making an honest attempt at being truthful and forthcoming, though without any factual evidence to support it.

However, having experienced being around some particularly horrid teenage girls, I could tell that the sincerity that Akeno was showing right now is the real deal.

Especially in teenagers, you can just tell that they're embarrassed when they do it. That's why I didn't believe her or Yumi whenever they opened up their mouths before. They were too calm, too collected.

It all felt too 'rehearsed' to be **true** **honesty**.

So, probably taking my pause as a sign that she should go ahead and say what she wanted to say, she took a deep breath and...

"I'm here because I wanted to apologize to you clearly for the inappropriate attitude I showed that night in the alley-way. That night...there really was no excuse for me to act like that towards you, nor to encourage you to 'resist' in order for it to be okay for me to 'restrain' you forcibly." Akeno spoke in an ashamed voice as she bowed forward at her waist until I couldn't see her face anymore.

Oh yeah, she's Japanese. They do this thing.

...

Or...is this just an 'anime' thing?

Do actual Japanese people bow like this when apologizing?

Hm...

"..." I kept silent as I continued staring at the girl who was bowing to me in apology.

...

"I...It's just that I feel like I needlessly created this 'tension' between the Peerage I'm a part of, and yourself. I was sent, only to escort you to Rias Gremory so that we could get answers as to who you are and what your intentions were for being in this city. I swear, Mr. Douglas, that **that** is the truth. We, as a group, had no ulterior or violent intentions towards you. However, with my horrible and unwarranted attitude that night, I feel like I soiled any and all pretenses of being polite or cordial with you. After you slammed the door in Rias's face, I felt as if all of it was my fault. That's why...I sincerely wish to apologize to you for my behavior, and though I have no right to ask this of you...would it be possible for us to...'start over'?" Akeno continued, wearing her heart on her sleeve and not letting her intentions be misunderstood in the slightest.

...

"..." I continued keeping silent, since I felt a little speechless.

Seriously, try having someone knock on your door and bow like this to you whilst spewing one of the most heart-felt apologies you've ever heard and say that it's just another day at the office.

...

Hmm, what should I do?

On one hand, a whimsical part of me is inclined to try and 'start over' with her, as she put it, but the other part is screaming that she's connected to Rias...

Which means it'll be a headache if I talk to her for an extended period of time.

...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Yeah, yeah...I promise that I'll give them **a chance**. But, if they blow it, don't go screaming at me!" I promised the two nosy people sitting across from me._

* * *

Fucking conscience~!

It's always rearing it's ugly head at me, isn't it!?

...

Ah well, it's honestly not that hard for me to arrive at my answer.

After all, for Akeno to come here and apologize so sincerely for how she acted deserves only **one** response.

" **Really**? You've had days to consider all of this from an objective standpoint, yet **this** is the solution you arrived at? Apologize and ask me to 'forgive and forget' about you pretty much openly declaring that you wanted to hurt me for the fun of it? Didn't your mother teach you that it's impolite to waste people's time with stupid stunts like this?" I replied with a somewhat tired and nonchalant tone. However, in the context I said it in, I'd be shocked if she managed to misunderstand my feelings at the moment.

I'm **disappointed**.

"Huh?" she replied in a high-pitched...shocked kind of way as she lifted her head and stared at me with wide eyes, probably not comprehending that her apology was refused in such a harsh and direct manner.

Yeah, like I'd **ever** accept an apology like this.

"I-I don't unders-If **this** is all you wished to talk about when you knocked on my door, then all I have to say is have a good life and please don't come back. I'd never waste my time trying to forgive people who treat others like they're fucking playthings and then believe that an apology will fix **everything**. Good day to you, Ms. Himejima." I cut her off before promptly starting to close the door in her face, feeling like I had just wasted a minute of my life due to her stupid stunt...

"Please wait, Mr. Douglas! Please!"

...

...

Am I? **Should** I?

...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Yeah, yeah...I promise that I'll give them **a chance**. But, if they blow it, don't go screaming at me!"_

* * *

...

Calm your tits, Doug...she's a teenage girl...remember what Dad used to say.

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Doug, you can't expect girls to understand guys. Things that make perfect sense to us, won't always be even **remotely** understandable to them. I know it's a pain in the ass, but if you just let your annoyance and frustration get to you all the damn time, you'll never be able to get along with girls. Especially if they're teenagers. At that age, they don't have **anywhere near** enough experience at dealing with problems...or even fessing up to their own faults to be reliable. Be patient, and explain yourself clearly. They're not stupid. They're just a little slow sometimes."_

* * *

Hah...I'm too damn nice for my own good.

"...alright. **Alright**. I probably won't get anywhere with you girls by slamming the door in your faces all the damn time." I sighed as I resigned myself to talk with Akeno for a bit. Opening the door all the way, I leaned against it as I stared at the girl who had straightened back up from her bow.

"...thank you for at least talking with me. To be honest, I became quite worried when you started to close your door. I'm...also not very sure as to how I can make you believe that I'm honest about wanting to apologize." Akeno replied, breathing deeply in relief at the fact that I was giving her a chance.

Alrighty, Doug. Time to make words with my mouth...in a 'not stupid' manner.

"Actually, I'm pretty much convinced that you were being completely honest with all that." I sighed again as I answered her worries by affirming that I believed that her intentions were sincere.

Akeno's left eyebrow then raised up as she seemed perplexed by something.

"Then, why...?"

"However, I think it's kinda wrong to believe that an apology should be adequate enough to have someone overlook the fact that they were threatened in a dark alley-way. Or, that a **human** was basically almost forcibly kidnapped, only to later be interrogated all because they entered into a **human** city without giving the **Devils** that live in the city a 'heads-up'. Do you get where I'm going with this?" I further explained, before trying to see if Akeno can put the pieces together herself...

...or if I have to spell it out for her.

"So...an apology is not good enough? I can certainly understand that, Mr. Douglas. Thank you for believing me, at the very least. Though, if an apology is insufficient to gain your forgiveness, then is there something you would have me do in exchange for another chance at an amicable relationship between you and our group?" Akeno replied while grasping her hands together in front of her, unintentionally (or maybe intentionally, since it's **Akeno** ) squeezing her breasts together with her arms and thus making them appear larger.

...

"...not really. While you deserve to be called out for your attitude, the main problem lies with something else. Contrary to your belief, it wasn't your poor behavior a week ago that created this tension between me and your group. Pretty much every ounce of that was between Gremory and me. She showed up at **my house** , and flat out **accused** me of being in cahoots with the guy that knocked you out. She wasn't entirely wrong, except for the fact that I wasn't even aware that my friend was nearby nor that he would knock you out like he did, but there were other...less extreme conclusions that she could've reached considering how little info she had. Not to mention, that even though you were the only one there that night, she showed up the next day with Yumi and that white haired girl, along with you. She also attempted to enter my house with neither invitation nor permission. After she failed, however, she passively demanded for me to let you guys in. The last straw for me was when she decided that it was **okay** to raise her voice at me." I explained, giving her a very detailed recounting of all the things that I disliked concerning how her 'Mistress' handled these situations.

Akeno was listening intently, of that I'm fairly certain. However, once my explanation was over, a silence overtook us for a moment before I decided to be upfront with her...

...well, it was also because I kind of felt like ranting a bit, but I believe I deserve to do **that** much.

"In other words, yeah, I'm kinda pissed off that you were treating me like a plaything in that alleyway. But, you stopped doing that after you found out that I had a friend that could knock you out instantly. However, my real problem is with Gremory's attitude after the fact. She was the one that ordered you to bring me to her, and so none of that would have happened without her authorization. And, above all else, the thing that pissed me off the most...is how she **completely** disregarded your actions and behavior in the alleyway, and immediately started pinning the blame on anything and anyone that **isn't** a part of her little clique. The only things she bothered to bring up were the fact that my friend attacked you, and that I was there when it happened. Thus, both my friend and I are **guilty** and should be **sentenced to death**. However, her **Devil** **servant** who had professed a desire and extreme willingness to use physical violence to apprehend and interrogate a **human** is **completely innocent**. So, if you want me to get all 'buddy-buddy' with your group, then either **fix your leader** or **get a new one**." I finished, making my position and reasoning for not wanting to have anything to do with their group clearer than the purest diamond.

Akeno...seemed considerably less open-minded than a few minutes ago. Her entire posture was stiff and her face was set in a discontent expression.

If I were to wager a guess based on how she acts in the series, she probably decided to keep quiet and respectfully listen to me badmouth her friend. However, she is most likely thinking that I'm being spiteful or unfair to Rias by actually holding her to **reasonable standards**...

And, should anyone do that in the series...may God have mercy on your soul...

"...Mr. Douglas, I realize that my [King] may have offended you. However, I came here to try and **fix** relations between you and my group. Please don't speak about my [King] like that. She didn't mean any disrespect. She was just looking out for me." Akeno spoke, clearly with a Herculean effort to keep an air of politeness in effect.

...

"So, you condone your Mistress's behavior? You agree that she has the right to stalk me, attempt to forcibly enter my home, use her servants to attempt to threaten me and then try to pin all the blame on me and my friend in the end?" I asked her with a monotonous vibe to my voice.

Akeno glanced away whilst shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Well...no. Not entirely. I hope you understand that we have to at least make sure you aren't a threat to the safety of our group or the humans in the area. Therefore, I think following you around and keeping tabs on you until you prove that you aren't a threat is at least reasonable. However, I agree that threatening you, along with trying to enter your home without your expressed permission...and attempting to blame you for everything is **not** right. However...my [King] didn't do those things just to express that she thinks of you as lowly...or unimportant. She's..." Akeno tried to explain, though she trailed off at several points as if she's attempting to find the right words to use.

Ah, so we're back to the 'less-honest' version of Akeno, are we?

"Being loyal to your friends is fine, but isn't it a friend's **job** to be the first to call you out on your bullshit? I've been making **mistake** after **mistake** this past week, and my friend has been beating the ever-loving shit out of me for it. If Gremory is being a poor representative of your Peerage, isn't it the [Queen]'s job to...I dunno, **call her out on it**?" I replied, giving her a sound piece of advice about what a true friend does.

That certainly got Akeno to shut up for a few moments.

"..." I kept silent as I let her digest that little spiel.

"...I apologize for my premature outburst, Mr. Douglas. Am I correct to assume that you weren't trying to insult my [King] during your explanations?" Akeno asked, in a much calmer tone of voice.

Ah, maybe she's a lot more level-headed than she is in the light novels~?

That would be for the best, I think. Rias needs a [Queen] that can call her out when she's fucking up.

"I admit that I probably have quite a bit of a bias against Pure-Blooded Devils. The rumors I've heard of their general personalities weren't all that flattering. As far as Gremory goes, I mostly just want her to **leave me alone**. I already have enough problems to deal with, without your group being one of them. So...no, I wasn't **trying** to insult your [King] with all **that**. You understand where I'm coming from though, right?" I replied, though I asked her just to make sure that she understood that I wasn't attempting to add more fuel to the fire, so to speak.

You can never be too sure when it comes to females.

"I see. Ufufu, I guess you are right about that!" she seemed to agree with what I said, whilst also showing the first hint of her regular personality in that weird-ass laugh of hers.

Hm...the tension that's been hanging in the air between us seems to have almost **visibly** lessened. It almost feels more like we're just a few strangers who happened to cross paths on some street than a Devil/Fallen Angel-Hybrid and a Human discussing matters concerning threats and **near** criminal behavior.

Not to say that there isn't an air of unfamiliarity...

"Then, if it is all the same to you, Mr. Douglas...I believe that I shall **leave you alone** for now. However, again, I sincerely wish to make up for my behavior last week. Perhaps I was a bit naive myself to simply believe an apology would suffice, but at the very least I wanted to make my intentions clear. I'll speak with Rias and see if I can't persuade her to give you **some** breathing room." Akeno informed me, before bowing again in an overtly polite gesture.

"Take care, Mr. Douglas. Thank you for speaking with me." she finished in...just the **sweetest** and **most gentle** voice I've ever heard a female speak to me with...

...

"Ms. Himejima, far be it from me to burst your bubble, but what the hell suddenly made you think that we became friends in the past forty-three seconds?" I sighed tiredly, though I felt more exasperated than tired at the moment.

Akeno's eyes widened as she raised her head to look at me again.

"Huh?"

"You can do what you please, but if you're trying to get in my good graces by convincing Gremory to promise to leave me alone, then I'm sad to say that it won't work. Yeah, I **want** her to **leave me alone** , but I wouldn't trust her to keep any promises should I take a single step out of my house. Who's to say that she won't promise to leave me be...and then pounce after I leave my home? I took my chance when I took Rossweisse out to do some shopping last week. That was one of the **mistakes** that my friend beat the shit out of me for making. I'm not going to be taking any more chances with you people. It's pretty much a waste of time but, if you really want to, you can try to convince your boss-lady. However, I don't trust you people."

...

...

...

Whoa, way to kill the mood, Doug~!

Seriously, Akeno seemed speechless at my apparent lack of faith in the word of a couple of teenage girls considering one of them came incredibly close to physically assaulting me for the hell of it and one of them tried to barge into my house and accuse me of every little thing under the sun.

...

I'm not even joking! I fucking **murdered** her good mood~!

Well, it was mostly her fault for jumping to conclusions. Even if she wants to help in order to make up for her past behavior, there's not really a whole lot that she can do. If, by some miracle, Rias decides to leave me be, I won't even leave my house to enjoy my newfound freedom.

Not while she can stab me in the back and get away with it, that is.

I made my fucking mistakes, and I'm gonna fucking learn from them.

"A-Ara ara, I...I suppose you're right. We haven't really given you much reason to trust us, so a response like that is natural. I apologize for rushing to conclusions, Mr. Douglas." Akeno spoke, clearly trying to use objective reasoning to get over her slight shock from such a turbulent conversation. She bowed again at the waist, this time much deeper.

...

...hah...I'm too nice for my own damn good~!

"I'll forgive you for that, at least. Most people these days aren't used to being held under scrutiny. That's the main reason why I refuse to accept your apology for your poor behavior. I could tell back then that you **weren't** putting up an act to seem 'tough' or 'intimidating'. You **genuinely** wanted me to resist being apprehended so you could attack me. Even though you never actually **did** attack me, the fact remains that, if you behave like that and then apologize, it just seems like you're trying to make **yourself** feel better. Not to mention, that an apology for something serious like that is like putting a Band-Aid on a crack in a window. It **doesn't** fix it." I explained, feeling like I should at least give her the clear-cut reason as to why I won't accept an apology for something like **that**.

Akeno merely nodded when I was finished, seemingly understanding that.

"I understand, Mr. Douglas. I should get going before I'm missed. But, before I leave, can you tell me if there's anything I can do that would help this situation from your perspective? If convincing Rias to leave you to your own devices won't work, then what will?" Akeno asked, probably since I shot down her offer so harshly.

I sighed before I partially slid my hands into my pockets.

"Just...don't do anything that'll rock the boat. My problem is with Gremory. I don't even want to **try** to get along with Gremory, and I refuse to trust her even in the slightest. However, I also don't want her to have any reason to be stomping around town, kicking over trash cans. In other words, I don't want her to believe that she has a legitimate reason to be angry. That just means that she'll be more prone to sticking her nose where it has no earthly sense being. That potentially means that I'll have to interact with her more, which won't end well for anyone." I answered.

Akeno nodded again.

"Very well. I believe I can at least do that much. Have a good day, Mr. Douglas." Akeno said pleasantly.

"Mm. You too, Ms. Himejima. Oh, by the way...cute outfit." I replied, trying to make sure she left on a positive note.

Because, as Dad always said...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Son, even if you fail at times, you should always **try** to not be a jerk."_

* * *

"A-Ara~? Flirting with someone who you view as an enemy...how **bold** of you, Mr. Douglas~!" Akeno responded with a surprised expression that made it seem like she absolutely wasn't expecting me to compliment her.

I sighed and gave her a wry smile.

"I wasn't flirting, so don't push it." I said, taking my right hand out of my pocket and grasping the door handle.

"Ufufu, are you embarrassed? Well, since you said that we're not friends, I'll simply thank you for the compliment. Until next time, Mr. Douglas." Akeno smiled at me in a much more friendly manner than the night she threatened me as she turned and walked away from my house.

Closing the door, I sighed as I considered if it was a good idea to go as far as to compliment the chick that was genuinely threatening me just a week ago.

Even if I hadn't of done that, she still would've probably tried to keep Rias in check for me. Therefore, there isn't a whole lot of benefit that being nice to her would do for me.

Now that I think about it, the only **conceivable** reason for me to compliment her, at least that anyone would believe, would be that I was **trying to befriend her**.

...

"Hm."

JESUS H. CHRISTIAN'S BALLS!?

Spinning around and slamming my back against the door, I felt like I nearly had a heart attack from hearing a feminine hum come from **directly behind me**.

Standing about three feet away from me, was Rossweisse. Having probably woken up just a short while ago, she was wearing her gray and pink sweat-clothes. With her right hand on her chin, she was supporting her right arm with her left in a crossed fashion. Her facial expression clearly spoke of surprise and confusion.

"R-Rossweisse! Freaking hell...wait, how long have you been standing there?" I groaned before I understood that, by her being right in front of me, she must've heard me talking to Akeno.

"Hm? Oh, only since I heard the knocking." she replied in a nonchalant manner.

"'Only since you heard the knocking', you say? If you've been there the whole time, then using the word 'only' seems rather...misleading." I reasoned, mentally kicking myself for not noticing her standing there. Now I know how it feels for all those anime characters that have full-blown conversations whilst being unaware of people standing right behind them, listening in.

"Perhaps. But, more importantly, I must say that I'm rather impressed. You never struck me as the type to 'bury the hatchet' over serious matters. Yet, you've basically held a genuine conversation with Ms. Himejima. At the end, it almost seemed like you and her were **getting along** somewhat." she spoke, seemingly appraising me as if I was some kind of rare animal that she's never seen before.

Damn it, cheeks, stop turning red this instant! Your master commands you!

"We weren't. If you heard everything, you must've heard me railing on her and her boss-lady. Besides, all I said was that her outfit was nice. I still refuse to be all 'buddy-buddy' with her. And I won't waste time talking about meaningless bullshit with her." I responded, asserting the truth to Rossweisse...even though it was embarrassing for her to stand there and talk to me like I'm a kid.

"Mm. Be that as it may, you still had a decent chat with her. Perhaps you don't hold as much animosity towards her or Ms. Gremory as you claim to." she reasoned, crossing her arms underneath her chest as she raised an eyebrow at me.

I sighed.

"She's a sadist, Rossweisse. She threatened me in a dark alleyway, and thought that an apology would suffice to 'patch things up'. If you think that me casually complimenting her means that I don't see her as a potential enemy, then you clearly don't know what the phrase 'try not to rock the boat' means. Besides, acting like a jerk in response to her threats would've just given their group a reason to hunt me down. And don't even get me **started** on Gremory." I spoke, a touch of frustration in my tone.

Rossweisse sighed in response as she uncrossed her arms and shrugged.

"I guess that's fair. Perhaps Mr. Cameron and I were a **little** too hopeful, but at least you spoke to her." she replied, begrudgingly seeming to accept that I wasn't gonna become friends with someone who threatened me, the way Akeno did, so easily.

Seeing that we've effectively moved on from this little subject, I decided to steer the conversation in another direction entirely.

"So...I guess today is your last day here." I spoke, shifting the overall mood of the room from 'childish disappointment' to 'awkward farewell'.

"Yes. My grandmother should be here around 11. I...I haven't been able to properly show my gratitude for you letting me stay here this past week. I also haven't repaid you for saving my life from those 'Puppets', as you and Mr. Cameron seem so fond of calling them..." Rossweisse replied with a trace of disappointment in her voice.

Man, this is so freaking awkward for me!

Seriously! This is the first time I've ever saved a cute girl's life, then housed her for a week, then bought her clothes, then fed her, then kept putting up with her pointing her 'magic cannon' at me, then having borderline friendly conversations with her, then getting yelled at because I helped her and finally, after all that...

...getting used to her.

"Meh..."

...

...

...I'm pretty sure that **that** is **not** a reasonable response to someone attempting to honestly express their gratefulness to you...

"...Mr. Douglas?" Rossweisse meekly replied, seeming to be confused at my reaction.

Typical Rossweisse~!

"It wasn't that big of a deal to me. Besides, it's not like you were a terrible guest or anything." I explained, **in detail** , my response.

Hm...something about her raised eyebrow makes me think that she doesn't get it. But, then she crossed her arms as her expression became incredibly stern.

Hm...guess I touched a nerve, huh?

"You know, I'm actually serious about this, Mr. Douglas. Even if you see this as no big deal, I'm not the type of person to rely on someone else's help completely like this. A Valkyrie is expected to have a fair amount of pride and respect for herself, after all. I swear to you, Mr. Douglas, that someday, I'm going to find a way to repay you for all of this." Rossweisse spoke, her face becoming one of steeled conviction as her sapphire-blue eyes glistened with determination.

"..."

Heart, stop beating faster.

Stop it.

"W-Well, i-if you're so serious about it, then that's fine...I guess. Don't worry if you can't, though. I'm...fairly used to not getting my hopes up." I replied, walking past her forcefully so that she doesn't get to look at any particularly embarrassing facial features that I may or may not possess any longer than is necessary.

...

"Then I guess I'll be the one to break that 'hopeless streak' of yours, Mr. Douglas~!"

Shut up, Rossweisse!

* * *

 **11:00 AM – 3 Hours, 14 Minutes Later...**

"So, **you're** the **beast** that **kidnapped** my precious Rose, **violated** her in ways that **not even** the most depraved of creatures would find **redeemable** and is now holding her **hostage** to **satisfy your greed**."

Shit fuck!

Fuck shit!

[Observe], help me out here!?

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Göndul  
 **Age:** 1,196  
 **Race:** Demi-God  
 **Affiliation:** Norse Faction

 **LVL:** 2,894  
 **HP:** ?/?  
 **MP:** ?/?

 **STR:**?  
 **END:**?  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:**?  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:**?

* * *

FFFUUUUUUUUUUCK!

I was currently staring at a woman who doesn't look a day over 40, with snow-white hair done up in a bun and wearing a deep blue robe with silver accents on the sleeves and shoulder areas that covered most of her body. The robe appears rather thin, showing that she had a pretty slim figure underneath, along with not being especially 'curvy'. Since her robe covered most of her body, and was rather loose over her feet, I couldn't see if she was wearing shoes.

But, the more pressing thing that I'm caught up on is the a ten-foot wide glowing white magic circle floating in front of her outstretched hand with a ton of fancy runes interlaced throughout it that's currently thrumming with so much power that I can literally **feel vibrations in the air** coming from it!

...

...

...The only solace that I can find in this situation...is that my house is **completely** 'siege-proof' and **she's not in it**.

"Hey, Rossweisse, your ride's here!" I called out to the silver-haired girl that had gone to her room a few minutes ago to pack her things.

Keeping my eye on the woman in front of me, whom I'm fairly certain is trying to fuck with me, I saw her expression go from 'livid' to 'curious'.

"You're...not scared? Not even a bit?" the woman asked. I sighed slightly.

"Ma'am, I've spent the last week with your granddaughter. She threatened me with a 'magic cannon' several times. Not only that, but Rossweisse has only ever spoken very highly of you. Sorry if I'm not 'scared' of, and I quote, 'the most loving grandma of all time'. Besides, if I had even so much as **tried** to rape your granddaughter, I'd be turned into a smear on the wall before I could even **blink**." I replied, not even hesitating once in the face of the 'still there' magic circle.

Taking a moment to probably judge whether or not I was being honest with her, the woman sighed before deactivating her magic circle and crossing her arms over her chest. As the construct faded into a soft glow before dissipating entirely, the woman outright **pouted** at me.

"Mmph, I **swear** that girl...she ruined the whole 'intimidation' theme that I was going for." she spoke in that kind of bummed-out tone that tells me that she was really looking forward to 'scaring the **shit** out of me'.

I'm touched, lady. Really.

Lol jk.

"If it's any consolation, yours was bigger." I spoke in a sarcastic manner. She simply smirked at me.

"Of course it was! I'm the one that taught her, so that's a given~! I guess it's only right that we get introductions over with, since I failed to get a good scare from you. I am Göndul, Rossweisse's grandmother." Göndul introduced herself, smiling pleasantly at me all the while.

I gave her a respectful nod as I heard the door to Rossweisse's room opening up.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Douglas. And please don't worry about that. Your granddaughter has given me enough of those..." I replied, turning my head to see the silver-haired girl standing there in her blue jersey and jeans. Her hair was still slightly damp from when she took a shower.

Seeing that we were both paying attention to her, Rossweisse smiled as she saw her grandmother in the flesh.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Granny. I-..." Rossweisse started speaking as she walked towards the door. I stepped aside for her, to which she passed through the portal and immediately got **tackled** by Göndul into what looked like the warmest, most loving strangle-hold/hug that there's ever been in the history of forever.

I felt **really awkward** , so I went ahead and closed the door most of the way in order to give them some privacy.

I could only hear a slight murmuring, but it sounded like something along the lines of...

"Oh, Rose...thank the gods you're okay...I was so worried...you disappeared three weeks ago..."

"Sorry for worrying you, Granny...a lot of things happened...but I'm still alive and well...Granny, I can't breathe..."

* * *

 **11:08 AM – 6 Minutes Later...**

After giving them as much time as they wanted, with which I went ahead and sat down in my seat to wait until they were done, I saw the door opening as Rossweisse attempted to lead Göndul into my house. I stood up and started moving around to get a look at what will happen when they both froze in their tracks as a pink screen popped up in front of me...

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Göndul' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Selecting 'no' for now, I was treated to the sight of Göndul bumping into an invisible wall as she attempted to walk into my home.

This immediately seemed to puzzle Göndul as she peered at the doorway as if it was some kind of riddling problem.

"Strange. It doesn't seem like I can enter this place like you can, Rose. I'm not detecting any magic at play, either."

Seeing her grandmother have trouble entering into a place that she could enter freely, Rossweisse seemed confused before she perked up in realization. Turning to me, pretty much anyone could guess where this was going...

"Mr. Douglas, can you please let her in? I promise that she won't attack you." Rossweisse pleaded, catching her grandmother's attention as Göndul looked from the silver-haired girl to myself with a raised eyebrow.

"Is **this** your doing, **Mr.** Douglas?" the wizened lady asked me, seemingly teasing Rossweisse about her preferred method of addressing me in the process. It seemed to work as Rossweisse slunk in her posture slightly whilst looking away from me for a moment. However, she focused back on me within no time as she continued to plead with me using her expression.

Looking between both sets of blue eyes staring at me, I sighed slightly before walking to stand in front of the doorway with Rossweisse being right beside me. Looking Göndul in the eyes without faltering or hesitating, I explained the situation to her...

"Göndul, I'll be quite frank with you. Surrounding this place is a kind of barrier so powerful it could probably keep **Ophis** out so long as I will it." I spoke in an incredibly blunt manner.

I don't know if it was my claim that shocked the females in front of me, or that I invoked the name of one of the few beings that, if it felt like it, could single-handedly make their entire Faction go...'poof!'.

"O-Ophis, you mean **that** **Dragon** that **possesses** **infinite power**!?" Rossweisse gulped as she spoke in an incredulous manner. Göndul's eyes were wide as they stared at me before narrowing.

"To bring up the **[Infinite Dragon God]** 's name so casually...you certainly aren't lacking in confidence, are you?" the older female remarked, seemingly much more interested in me than she was a few minutes ago.

I simply waved a hand in the air in a dismissive manner.

"It may be an exaggeration, but you get my point. In other words, if **anyone** wants to come into my house, **I** have to **let them in**. Now, I'll explain the **problem** with this." I continued, making sure to get their attention off the fact that I dropped a bomb on the conversation fifteen seconds ago.

Both of them seemed to realize that it wouldn't mean anything to stay hung up on Ophis's name, so they allowed me to move the conversation onward without any useless delays.

"This past week has put me on guard concerning people coming into my home. It was enough of a stretch to trust Rossweisse back when I rescued her, but I felt that I had done enough for her to make her **not** kill me on the spot. The next morning, though, I had her breathing down my neck and holding her 'magic cannon' to my face before I was put through an interrogation. The only reason I didn't turn my back on her was because I understood her situation. So, I went along with it. But, please understand that I'm a **human**. For me to be around people like you who can disintegrate me with a sneeze is **disconcerting** and **downright terrifying**. Do you understand what I'm saying here?" I explained, before making sure that they were both following along and that they saw where I'm coming from with all this.

Both of them were nodding along, being far more sympathetic than I would've expected them to be had I have gone through this a week ago.

"I understand your situation, Mr. Douglas. It's quite normal for **everyone** , besides those at **the very top** , to feel fear concerning things like that. I'm not sure how anyone would manage to make a barrier **that** powerful around your home, and with such an amazing feature built into it, but it makes sense that you would fully embrace that feeling of security." Göndul answered, smiling gently at me as she closed her eyes and nodded.

Rossweisse followed along with her grandmother's example as she nodded as well.

"Absolutely, Mr. Douglas. Though, with Granny, you don't need to worry so much. You saved my life **and** you housed me like an honored guest for a week. She has no reason to attack you, and she's not a bad person." Rossweisse agreed, before trying to reassure me that her grandmother means me no ill will.

I already knew that from the moment I heard she was coming to pick Rossweisse up. So long as I managed to not piss off the silver-haired Valkyrie-in-training, I had nothing to fear from her grandmother.

But, at the same time...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Having had my leg get sewn back on by Cameron's healing magic after he sliced it clean off during our most recent duel, I was about to take a small minute-long break in order to collect my thoughts before challenging him again._

 _However, I was unprepared for Cameron to bop me over the head with the butt of his sword to get my attention._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Doug, even if you trust people, a [Gamer]'s first line of defense will be their [Crib]. It's stupid to simply let people in on **their** terms. If someone wants to come in, you should have tests ready. Something to help prove their case that they won't try to take advantage of you letting your drawbridge down."_

 _"...is this about Rossweisse?"_

 _"Yeah. You had absolutely no fucking clue that she wouldn't kill you, other than assumptions drawn up from reading the light novels. You say that her grandma's coming to get her, right? **Don't let her in until you feel like you can trust her**. I'm not saying to be a jerk, but just let her know that you're very hesitant to do so. And, if she makes you doubt her word for **even a second** , then kick her the fuck out. If I'm not there, I can't protect you. Rossweisse wouldn't even be able to save you. You'd be entirely at the mercy of one of the most powerful magic-users of the Norse Faction, which has the most developed magical systems compared to **all** the other Factions. So...be careful, 'kay?"_

 _"Yeah yeah...okay. I'll try."_

* * *

...

"Mr. Douglas, I swear to you on my status as a Valkyrie, I won't attempt to harm you should you let me into your home. You've put yourself through quite a bit of trouble for my granddaughter's sake. It would besmirch the pride and honor of our entire Faction should we treat you like an enemy at this point." Göndul spoke in a heartfelt tone, though also with quite a dramatic touch as well.

Honestly, if I wasn't in an 'anime-verse' right now, I'd think she was mocking me.

...

The truth though, is that I **don't** doubt her at all. It may be a stupid streak of optimism that seems to rear it's ugly head whenever I talk with silver-haired females, but I simply sighed.

"...Alright. I'll trust you. I just kinda wanted to get that out in the open, though. Try and enter again." I told the older lady in front of me. Göndul smiled as she attempted to come through the doorway again, only to be frozen in time with her granddaughter as the 'pink screen of death' showed up in front of me again.

* * *

 **-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-  
** **-Would you like to add 'Göndul' to your 'Friends List'?-**

 **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Selecting 'yes' this time, I watched as Göndul passed right through the only layer of protection that I possessed against her. She simply kept her gentle demeanor as I turned my back to her (seriously, if she decided to kill me, it's not like I would be able to do anything about it even if I was looking at her) and became the leader of the group as I marched them ten feet into the living room and had them sit down in their chairs.

"Now, are you ladies hungry or thirsty? Especially you, ma'am, considering you've traveled a pretty good distance to be here." I asked the two females sitting in the chairs. Göndul gained an amused smirk at me playing host to her as she nodded.

"A drink would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble." she spoke politely. Rossweisse nodded.

"I would like one as well, Mr. Douglas. Granny, this person makes the most amazing sweet tea I've ever tasted! I've been waiting for the chance to tell you about it!" Rossweisse eagerly agreed, before turning to her grandmother and singing praises about me.

Damn it, Rossweisse...

"Oh~? Then perhaps I should try it whilst I have the chance, hm~?" Göndul stepped on board with that idea quite easily.

Nodding slightly to them, I walked into the kitchen to grab three mason jars filled with my homemade sweet tea (oh yeah, I make all of it myself), before walking back into the living room.

Handing a jar to each of the girls, I sat down and popped the top off of my own along with them. Taking a nice big swig of the concoction, I peered at Göndul to see her reaction.

"Mm, this **is** amazing~! There's a strange...twist to it. It almost tastes like a form of citrus fruit, but without the sourness..." the older lady spoke, seemingly becoming curious in discerning the hidden ingredient. Rossweisse nodded along, though she looked at me mischievously before turning to Göndul.

"Yes, I've asked him about it before, but he claimed it was a 'secret ingredient'. He always made it at night, though, so I never got a good chance to learn what it was." she spoke in a slightly teasing voice, to which her grandmother seemed genuinely surprised at.

Taking a moment to resign herself to merely teasing me instead of focusing on her granddaughter's apparent 'OOC moment', she turned to me with her amused smile.

"Really? Maybe Mr. Douglas would care to share his 'secret ingredient' with **me** , instead~?"

Okay, I know that wasn't **supposed** to sound sexual, but it kinda did.

On the less uncomfortable side, Göndul **is** still quite beautiful, even though she's nearly 1,200 years old. Her complexion is flawless and her face is quite gentle yet firm. She also probably knows **a thing or two** about the 'horizontal tango'.

I'm probably just reading too much into this...

"Ma'am, every girl I've shown my 'secret ingredient' to has either ran away from me screaming, or physically assaulted me with a baseball bat." I responded in dead monotone.

With both of their eyes going wide from such a blunt 'confession', they seemed shocked that I said something like that.

"R-Really, Mr. Douglas? Have people **really** attacked you when you showed them your 'secret ingredient'?" Rossweisse asked like the innocent little girl she is.

Göndul, however, just laughed lightly once she got over her shock.

"Amazing, Mr. Douglas. Your 'secret ingredient' seems to frighten girls, is that what you're saying?" she asked, obviously trying to continue the joke. I nodded slightly.

"Yep. When they find out they're drinking fish sperm, girls typically lose thei **-WHAT!?** " Rossweisse shrieked, cutting me off as she shot out of her seat. Thankfully, she had already placed her jar on the table.

Like I said. They lose their shit~!

Even Göndul seemed to take a slightly concerned glance at her drink, probably wanting to discern if I was telling the truth or not. Even for a joke, she may think that I went too far.

*srrreeeeee*

And, **there's** the 'magic cannon' that I've grown rather used to seeing in the past week~!

"Oh, calm down, Rossweisse~! I'm joking." I replied to the, now standing, girl in a lighthearted manner, before dropping my voice back to monotone.

Rossweisse simply kept a suspicious glare on me for a moment before sighing and sitting back down as she put away her 'magic cannon'.

"By the gods, this guy...I've never dealt with such an irritating male before." my silver-haired house guest mumbled to herself.

Göndul simply smiled **that** smile. The smile that everyone knows about. The smile that only Göndul can smile. The smiley smile that seems...

...smiley.

"Oh~? Rose, I just noticed...but isn't this kindhearted young man the first boy you've spent more than five minutes around~?" the older lady teased, taking another sip of her drink like an elegant and refined noble.

On a more positive note, Rossweisse's 'super-blushy' face is pretty cute.

"G-G-Granny~! I-It's n-not like t-that~!"

...

So... **that's** what her Norwegian accent sounds like...

...

"Rossweisse, you never told me you had such a sweet accent!" I remarked, making sure to show my appreciation towards the girl for sharing such a unique trait of herself with me. Even though I already knew about it, it was still amazing to hear it in person.

I also know that I'm just fanning the flames of Hell right now, if the look in Göndul's eyes is any indication, but I just wanted to say that and make sure my opinion is known.

Besides, it gets Rossweisse more flustered, so it's a 'win-win' for everyone!

"Oh~? See, Rose~? Even your dashing host is rather fond of it~!"

"G-G-GRANNY~! W-We're **not** like that~! I-I'm serious~! And Mr. Douglas, **do not** encourage her~!"

"Yeah, I'll be straight with you, Rossweisse...I doubt your grandmother is the type to listen when it comes to stuff like this. Besides, I was being honest. Your accent is awesome! I just wish I could've heard it sooner!"

With her lower lip quivering slightly as she stared at me directly in the eyes with her trembling gems, I saw how Rossweisse seemed to simply be at a loss as to how to handle this situation.

Even if she was embarrassed at times before, she always had a 'go-to' solution. Now, even if that solution was pointing her 'magic cannon' at my face, it was still a viable option in her head.

She seemed to not believe that it would be acceptable to do that in this situation. And, I think pretty much anyone could agree with her. After all, I was just complimenting her on her accent.

"...t-thank you..." she grumbled as she brought her knees up to her chest, the same way that she usually does in the mornings, and buries her head in them in a juvenile attempt to escape the embarrassment of this situation.

Göndul seemed to be having a pleasant amount of fun at her granddaughter's expense, but I could also see the concern written on her face when she looked at Rossweisse.

In the series, they pretty much make Rossweisse's love-life into a meaningless joke. But, for Göndul, I always couldn't help but think that she simply wants the best life possible for her granddaughter. And, seeing Rossweisse get so depressed whenever her lack of a boyfriend is brought up...it probably makes Göndul feel like she's **failing** somehow as the girl's guardian.

So...perhaps that's the reason Göndul seems kinda pushy in the series. She just wants Rossweisse to be happy and the only way she can think for that to happen is to help her granddaughter **get the thing** that her granddaughter is so depressed over **not having**...

Though, I'm fairly certain that I **can't help** with that, but it makes me feel happy that my friend has such a loving family member she can rely on.

Kinda makes me think about how I acted around my own family...

* * *

 **12:01 PM – 50 Minutes Later...**

"Well, Mr. Douglas...I guess this is goodbye." Rossweisse said as we stood next to my front door. Göndul was waiting outside, saying that she wants to 'give us some privacy'.

Twenty bucks says the silver-haired hag has her ear pressed up against the door.

"I guess it is. It's been nice having you around, Rossweisse. Who knows? I might even get a little lonely being cooped up in here all by my lonesome~!" I replied, giving her a wry smile as I saw her nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"I...I know I've caused you quite a bit of trouble, to which I fully intend to make up to you for. Again, though, thank you for saving me...and for everything else. I've had a mostly pleasant time staying here, and it's all because of you. Well, Mr. Cameron too, to an extent, but..." Rossweisse continued with the incredibly awkward and embarrassing 'goodbye speech'.

Not wanting to have her just keep making this more and more uncomfortable to hear, I sighed before reaching into my pocket and pulling out a folded up piece of paper. Holding it out to Rossweisse, she took it with a confused expression on her face.

"What is this, Mr. Douglas?" she asked.

"My phone number. It may be a **little longer** than you're expecting, but I should be able to answer at any time. Though, please don't go giving it out to anyone. It may just be my 'control freak' tendencies, but it makes me feel all **icky** when I get a call from someone I don't know." I answered.

Unfolding the paper to get a look at the number, Rossweisse's eyes went wide. After a quick moment of counting, she turned to me.

"There's **69 digits** to this number. What kind of phone do you **have** , Mr. Douglas? And, for that matter, where did you even **get** a phone? As I recall, you're **terrified** of leaving your house."

Heh, she said '69'~!

"How else do I get anything cool? Cameron."

...

"...Fair enough, I suppose. But, why is the number so long?" she replied, obviously believing that Cameron was capable of many mysterious things~...

...not really. He just told me about this **handy little feature** in the [Game System] is all.

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"This thing even has [Chat]?" I asked as I was mowing down Archers inside of the 'Puppet ID' with Cameron. He nodded to my question._

 _"Of course it does. Though, there are a few different ways to use the [Chat] feature. First off, is between [Gamers]. With them, you just register someone's name into your 'Friends List', go into it, select their name and push 'Call' or 'Message'. The [System] takes care of it, and the 'cell reception' is infinite. There is absolutely no place that either [Gamer] can go to where the [System] can't deliver the message or host the call. This is also how the [Guild] contacted me back then."_

 _"Second, is between a [Gamer] and a non-[Gamer]. With this, it depends on who's trying to initiate the conversation. If the [Gamer] does it, then it's the same drill. The [System] will search for the other person's phone number or e-mail account in order to do it's business. However, if the non-[Gamer] wants to get in contact with you, then there's a number you can give them that they can either dial into a phone or write down as an e-mail address and it will get sent to you via the [System]. The number is super long, though, so I doubt that many people would bother memorizing it. There are only a few problems with this. Number one, the person has to have access to a phone or computer of some kind that's capable of sending messages or handling telephone calls of some sort. Number two, is that the person doesn't have to be on your 'Friends List' to contact you. They just need that number. This can lead to getting an insane amount of spam if you're not careful about who you give your number to."_

 _Taking everything he was saying in as I continued firing more [Arrows] at the monsters in front of me, I thought about giving my number to Rossweisse, since we're rapidly on our way to becoming somewhat casual friends._

* * *

"He said that it's a 'special carrier' that has excellent reception. I should always be able to respond, unless I'm in the middle of a death-match or something insane like that." I replied, not exactly lying to her.

Rossweisse merely glanced from the paper to me a few times before she spoke up.

"...why give this number to me, then?"

"Wow, you're a bit of an airhead, aren't ya?"

You know, sometimes I hate being such a freaking smart-ass~...

*srrreeeeee*

"Would you care to repeat that, Mr. Douglas?" Rossweisse spoke with a dangerous edge to her tone, obviously implying that she'll use her newly conjured up 'magic cannon' on me if I so much as **think** about saying such a horrendous statement twice.

"A violent airhead."

*vrroooom*

*BOOM*

"Rose, what's going on in there!?" I heard Göndul say from outside.

Man, I'm just glad that Rossweisse decided to tilt her circle slightly to the left in order to hit my wall again.

Taking a small glance over, I saw that the wall, which now had what looked like a small burn mark on it, was folding over itself whilst producing a sound akin to shuffling paper. Within a second or two, the damage was completely repaired.

Looking back over to Rossweisse, I simply smiled at how nostalgic this feels.

"Just like your first day here. Man, it seems like it's been months, but it's just been a week." I remarked, causing the girl's eyes to widen slightly before she sighed and smiled.

"Yes, you were somewhat insufferable back then as well. You **do** know that I was really willing to kill you that morning, right?" she asked, probably seeing that there was no harm being done with my offhanded comments.

"Oh, I'm sure. However, there's a pretty huge difference between then and now..." I replied, trailing off at the end. Rossweisse just quirked an eyebrow at me.

"And what difference is that?"

"We're friends now."

...

*Ba-dump* *Ba-dump*

Did I just hear a heartbeat?

Moving on from that phenomenon, since I don't hear it anymore, I focused back on the conversation at hand and...

Well, considering that I'm seeing a blush spread across Rossweisse's cheeks, I'm assuming I said **something** right...

"F-Friends...? R-Really, Mr. Douglas?" the girl in front of me asked in a much softer voice than I've heard her use before.

"Yep yep yep. That's also why I'm giving you that number. If you ever want to talk, just ring me up. Even if it's just for something like venting about your studies or people making fun of you, I'll do my best to answer~!"

Sheesh, saying such an 'anime-esque' line like that is **really** freaking embarrassing...

"...Mr. Douglas, I...I just...I should probably inform you that you sounded quite 'cheesy' just now~..." Rossweisse spoke, obviously contemplating on taking me seriously, before apparently deciding it would be better to tease me about my choice of words.

"Oh, really? Then I hope it's Pepper Jack, so I can at least **burn** **your** **ass** with my 'cheesiness'~!" I responded in a mock spiteful tone.

"Pfft...hahahahaha~!" holding a hand up to her mouth, Rossweisse started laughing at my, admittedly terrible, joke.

I think this is the first time I've ever heard her **laugh**.

...It's rather nice, if not a little 'dorky'.

Ah, yes...I get a little **weird** once I get comfy around people.

"W-Well, then... **Mr. Pepper Jack** , I don't really have any other choice than to accept this piece of paper, now do I? I-If you won't mind...I'll call you every now and then." Rossweisse finally spoke after she calmed down a little bit, before a white magic circle appeared beside her, to which she slid the paper into before withdrawing her hand and dismissing the construct.

So...that's her 'pocket dimension', huh?

...neat.

I was about to comment on it...until I saw Rossweisse get frozen in time as a golden screen appeared in front of me.

* * *

 **-Congratulations, you've obtained a new [Title]!-**

 **-[Title] Requirement: Be given your first unique nickname by a 'Friend'!-**

 **-[Mr. Pepper Jack]-  
** **-[Title] Effect #1: +10% LUK**

 **-Would you like to swap [Titles] now?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Considering that being **[Mr. Pepper Jack]** is all around better than being the **[Numbnut Noob]** , I'll go ahead and swap them.

Once I clicked 'yes', the screen disappeared and time resumed. Remembering where we were in the conversation, I picked it back up without a hitch.

"Cool way to store things. I'll look forward to those calls, Rossweisse." I replied, holding my hand out towards her. Taking a second to glance at my face with a happy expression, Rossweisse grasped my hand in her own as she smiled.

"Mm. Take care, Mr. Douglas."

"You too, Rossweisse."

And so, she opened up the door, to which I wasn't able to verify if Göndul was eavesdropping on us and walked out. Hearing the soft click of the door shutting completely, I sighed deeply.

Then, a blinking golden screen and a pink screen flashed in front of my face.

* * *

 **-[Campaign Quest] Completed!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 2

 **Difficulty Level:** '2' (Puns Can Be Funny)

 **Objectives:  
** **-Level up your Crib. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Make Breakfast. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Be nice to Rossweisse. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Do not die to Rossweisse. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Talk to 'Rias Gremory'. (COMPLETED)**

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Compliment Rossweisse (10/10)** _**(COMPLETED)**

 **Time Limit:** 10 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+2)  
-x2 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-x2 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Rossweisse  
 _-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul)_

* * *

Taking a small second to pat myself on the back for having successfully completed another [Quest] in it's entirety, I smiled slightly before dismissing the golden screen.

Hm...I wonder what the hell Rossweisse's 'Ally' status means?

However, I was then bombarded with three more golden screens, each detailing a new [Quest] for me to embark on.

Holy freaking balls!?

This is some 'Skyrim'-level quest getting!

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** Fixing Relations with the Devils

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After failing to establish cordial relations with Rias Gremory, things seem to be shaping up poorly for your existence in Kuoh City! Perhaps another chance for the crimson-haired Devil is in order, or perhaps you'll try your hand at speaking to someone else?

 **Difficulty Level:** '3' (Meh...)

 **Objectives:  
** -Talk to and reach an understanding with Rias Gremory (Option #1)  
-Talk to '?' (Option #2)  
-Talk to '?' (Option #3)

 **Time Limit:** 15 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+3)  
-x3 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x3 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Rias Gremory (Option #1)  
-Ally: '?' (Option #2)  
-Ally: '?' (Option #3)

 **Failure Penalties:  
** **-** Enemy: Rias Gremory

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

 **-Quest Alert!-**

 **Quest Title:** Ally Bonding – Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul)

 **Quest Details:  
** -After having befriended Rossweisse, you have secured an Ally who shall fight alongside you in the future to help keep you alive! However, in terms of your relationship, it's not a very close one. Fix that by interacting with Rossweisse more often!

 **Difficulty Level:** '1' (A Fucking Joke)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** -Hang out with Rossweisse (0/10)  
-Talk with Rossweisse (0/100)  
-Message Rossweisse (0/500)  
-Compliment Rossweisse (0/1,000)

 **Time Limit:** N/A

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Increased Closeness with Rossweisse  
-+1 HP Bonus per Objective Completed  
-+1 MP Bonus per Objective Completed

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -None

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** -Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips.  
-Defeat '?'  
-'?'

 **(Optional)  
** _-'?'  
_ _-'?''_

 **Time Limit:** 10 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
 _-'?'  
_ _-'?''_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Aw, what the hell~?

Considering that all three of these [Quests] seem entirely doable...

...well, other than that part about lasting 15 seconds in a [Duel] against Cameron...

"Yo."

"SAMUEL L. JACKSON!?"

...

God freaking damn it, Cameron...

Sitting in the chair to the left of my own with one leg being propped up on the other in an incredibly relaxed position, Cameron was casually sipping from one of the many jars of sweet tea I've made without a single care in the world.

"I told you I'd be by when she left, right? Well, here I am~!" he spoke, sounding like he really didn't care that I used a pretty damn cool actor's name the way I did.

...

"Yeah, you did. But, I thought that would be...I dunno...a few minutes later or something." I replied, deciding to simply drop the fact that Cameron somehow got into my [Crib] without any trouble whatsoever...and without alerting me.

"Nah. So, before we talk about those [Quests] you just got, I've gotta know...how did things work out, Do-... **Mr. Pepper Jack** ~?" Cameron asked, before a loud snort escaped through his nostrils.

Yep, yuck it up all you want, man.

Sighing slightly from the fact that I'm **going** to be teased about this for an unforeseeable amount of time, I went ahead and told him...

* * *

 **12:22 PM**

If one looked at the strange little house in the middle of the sub-urbs of a Japanese city, they'd find it comically bouncing up and down into the air while the sounds of loud and boisterous laughter could be heard from inside.

* * *

 **1:02 PM**

"Alrighty, **Mr. Pepper Jack** , I'm proud to say that things are gonna be picking up for you now. Now that you've accepted those three [Quests] at once, you're going to be able to make more progress. However, before we get to [Dueling] non-stop until you manage to last 15 seconds against me, for which I won't be going easy on you, you need to start thinking about something **very important**." Cameron spoke in a relieved fashion as we stood across from each other in my backyard inside of an 'Empty ID'.

Like he said, I had accepted all of those [Quests] earlier. After he had calmed down from laughing, he had me explain each of the [Quests] to him.

Obviously, he seemed to agree with me that starting with the one that where I had to last in a [Duel] against him for at least 15 seconds was the best to start with. Considering that this one will most likely grant me access to a new dungeon with better enemies to grind off of, I felt that I should get this one done quicker.

The [Quest] for 'bonding with Rossweisse' is definitely tempting, but that one doesn't have a time limit. And, even if I try to do it as fast as possible, it would still take me a while.

So, I'll do the [Quest] with the new dungeon first, then I'll train up a lot more before going to speak with the Devils, and I'll just sprinkle in Rossweisse's [Quest] whenever I have some down time.

But, considering that Cameron is already taking a detour, even though he is supposed to be a [Hardcore Gamer] (to which I still don't know what that really means), I can only assume that it's something rather important.

"What do I need to 'consider'?" I replied, affirming that I was listening.

"It's time that we talk about what your fighting style is gonna be..."

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Yay! HE FINALLY COMPLETED THE SECOND QUEST!**

 **Ba da bing, ba da boom.**

 **Also, just to ease your worries, because I know you have them...**

 **This second dungeon will be much faster paced. Douglas won't be walking through it, nor will he take hours of time in the dungeon to practice dodging.**

 **Also, on the case of Akeno, Douglas has read the series, so he already knew what to expect from her. They ARE NOT FRIENDS YET!**

 **Hell, there's actually still quite a bit of tension there. He's just going to rely on her to keep Rias in check, at least until he gets stronger to be at an advantage should he need to deal with them.**

 **Until next time, you wonderful people~!**


	12. Chapter 9 - This Will Be Painful

**Welcome to Chapter 9, or as I like to call it, "the chapter where Douglas gits gudder"!**

 **For anyone who wanted to see Douglas get his ass kicked like the 'little pansy bitch' some people believe him to be, you've come to the right chapter!**

 **For anyone who wanted to see Douglas start kicking ass like a regular Gamer, then you'll have to wait just a teensy bit longer.**

 _ **THIS NEXT PART IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, SO PAY ATTENTION!**_

 **Note #1: Does anyone remember the chest? That is going to be super important!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"[Speech]" = Gamer and DXD-specific terms.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: This Will Be Painful**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Kuoh Academy - Student Council Office (General POV)**

 **August 20, 2014 - 1:10 PM - 7 Minutes Later...**

Sitting in a chair behind a desk with neatly stacked piles of paperwork resting on top of the dark colored wood, Sona sighed as she continued looking over another budget for one of the school's many 'clubs'.

However, her work was disturbed when a floating palm-sized magic circle appeared over the desk. Glancing at it, she was surprised to see a familiar symbol in the middle of the circle.

"My sister's..." Sona muttered, before mentally bracing herself. Waving a hand at the magic circle, she allowed the magic circle to start doing it's job.

Transmitting verbal messages across long distance...aka, being a magical telephone.

However, in Sona's mind, she thought that it was rather strange for her sister to disturb her like this. The older of the two usually just burst through the doors with nary a warning nor invitation.

"Hello?" Sona spoke succinctly, letting whoever was on the other end of the line know that she was listening.

"Lady Sona," a deep masculine voice spoke, "I ask that you pardon the unexpected disturbance."

Sona recognized the voice, even though she's only spoken to the owner a handful of times in person.

"Lord Behemoth." she replied, acknowledging who was contacting her.

Though, at this point, she was wondering what was going on.

"I'm calling you to inform you of...a particular situation. Lady Serafall disappeared a few minutes ago without explanation. Knowing her, I thought it prudent to warn you in case she's coming to the human world. Though, if I could ask, would you please contact me should she do so? She was in a mighty rush to leave, even by her usual standards." Behemoth's voice echoed in it's explanation, though Sona could detect the small amount of uneasiness in his tone as well.

Sighing at her sister once again doing something rather thoughtless and irresponsible, she replied in a practiced tone.

"I will. Thanks for the heads-up, Lord Behemoth."

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib - Backyard (Douglas POV)**

 **August 20, 2014 - 5:34 PM – 4 Hours and 22 Minutes Later...**

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/2,400 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

"Goddammit!"

"Trying to spit in my face while we're clashing was very practical. Too practical. In fact, I basically saw that coming from a mile away."

Having Cameron kindly extract his sword from my rib-cage, I sighed in frustration as I held my hands to the wound and used one of my new abilities on it.

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic: Hands of Healing] (DXD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA - Rank: E - Active – Cost:** 50 MP/second  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Healing]  
** **-Description: Allows player to heal themselves or others, thus restoring HP.  
** **-Power: (MAG*0.1 + 10) HP/second**

* * *

With my hands being bathed in a gentle green aura, I felt the searing pain of having a large hole being opened up in my torso being replaced by a cool and pain-free feeling.

It kinda felt like running a burn under slightly cold water. You can ignore the pain and just focus on the cool refreshing feeling of sweet relief~!

Considering I've been getting my ass handed to me for the past four hours and some change by the brown-haired asshole standing in front of me, it's really not surprising that I've managed to level up my healing spell to max by now.

That's...not really something to be proud of, I know...

Whilst I was healing my wounds, Cameron and I stood there in silence. After around 25 seconds, I was pretty much done.

"So...how long this time?" I asked. Cameron just smiled wide at me.

" **7.43** **seconds**!" he replied merrily, though I definitely felt like he was mocking me. However, that didn't stop the sliver of disappointment I felt from stabbing me in the side of my head.

Sighing slightly, I tilted my head back and looked to the sky.

"Not even halfway...?" I mumbled under my breath, watching a few clouds roll by in the 'Empty ID' we were in.

...

"...you're doing better. Just keep on trying. Remember that the amount of damage you take from an attack largely depends on how you receive it. Deflect, instead of block." Cameron spoke, dropping his 'happy-go-lucky'-tone and getting back into a stance with his sword held in front of him.

Sighing again, I pressed 'yes' on the screen in front of me and got into a pseudo-boxing pose with my hands held up to both sides of my face.

I figured out that there was a very small delay between the 're-match request' being sent and the sound of the bell being rung to signal the start of the [Duel].

...

Rushing forward at each other, Cameron and I went at it again.

And again, I got my ass-kicked in less than eight seconds.

* * *

 _ **Flashback – 1 Hour Earlier...**_

 _"You know, Doug, I'm really not holding back as much as you think I am." Cameron remarked in an exasperated tone after he had sent me tumbling over myself into the side of my house after cutting my body at least a dozen times or so in our most recent spar._

 _Activating my [Hands of Healing], I started to heal myself whilst peering at him from over the 'losing' screens that had been popping up in front of me for the past three hours or so._

 _Giving him an unconvinced glare, I raised my eyebrows._

 _"Really? If only using a sword and your wits to combat **everything** I've got at my disposal counts as 'not holding back as much as I think', then I shudder to think of what you're like when you're actually paying attention." I spat back._

 _Seriously, I know you're trying to boost my spirit, but I can tell you're holding a hell of a lot back._

 _I really don't appreciate being lied to like that._

 _Narrowing his eyes at me, and contorting his face until it showed just a small speck of anger, Cameron seemed to grit his teeth slightly._

 _"Why do you do that to yourself?" he asked in a much graver tone. Quirking an eyebrow at him, I wondered what he was talking about._

 _"Do what to myself?"_

 _"Sell yourself short. You think that just because I've been doing this for millions of years means that I'm so incomparably better than you that you've never stood a chance to begin with?" Cameron asked me, almost like it was a rhetorical question._

 _Tilting my head, I felt even more confused about this._

 _"I wouldn't call it selling myself short. And, what with four million plus years of experience fighting against guys that I wouldn't stand a chance against...doesn't that basically mean that you're out of my league?" I replied, wondering how he's arriving at such twisted logic._

 _Cameron stayed silent for a moment, breathing deeply as he looked at me. I wasn't really able to tell if he was genuinely angry or not, but I could certainly tell that there was a lot more he wanted to say at that moment._

 _However, instead of launching into a long and drawn-out spiel about this random subject that he pulled out of his ass for some reason, he just groaned and got back into his stance._

 _"Forget it."_

 _"...o...kay?"_

 _And so, we got back to sparring._

* * *

 **5:37 PM – 1 Minute Later...**

"Whoo~! **7.51 seconds** ~! You've officially hit the halfway point!" Cameron announced, having just finished flipping over me before grabbing my head and slamming it into the ground.

"Yippee~..." I groaned out, lifting myself up and activating my healing spell again.

Whilst I was doing that, I took a small moment to look at my 'Skills/Magic Screen'. I hadn't bothered on checking on my new abilities all that much, since I've been using **most of them** non-stop since I started [Dueling] with Cameron in this manner.

However, I was a little surprised to find that one of them wasn't gaining any EXP...

* * *

 **+[Unarmed Combat Proficiency] (Gamer) – LVL: 0/100 – EXP: 0/100% - Rank: E - Passive  
** **-Description: Allows the player to pummel their enemies with their own body more effectively.  
** **-Unarmed Attacks do: 10% more damage when used.  
** **-Unarmed Damage: -5% less damage received.**

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic Affinity] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: 100/100% - Rank: E - Passive  
** **-Description: Increases the player's ability to cast [Norse]-type 'Magic' more efficiently.  
** **-Effect: [Norse]-type 'Magic' costs 10% less MP to use.**

* * *

"Hey, why isn't my [Unarmed Combat Proficiency] getting better?" I asked Cameron. He just quirked an eyebrow before a look of realization came across his face.

"Oh~! Those things. Yeah, it only counts when you defeat an enemy after having used melee attacks on it. You don't even necessarily have to beat the enemy **with** the melee attack. It's actually the same as your [Swordsmanship] ability. It increases in EXP when you beat an enemy after having used sword attacks on it at some point." he explained, making me feel frustrated again.

"Well...that sucks."

"Yes. Yes, it does."

In a very short amount of time, I finished healing myself before I focused on the task at hand again.

I really hope that my plan is going to work.

Taking my stance, I drank a few **Mana Potions** quickly (still taste awful), before sending the 're-match request' to Cameron...

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-START!-**

* * *

*DING*

Seeing Cameron immediately rushing at me to cover the five meter wide gap between us, I swung my right hand out and sent three standard [Arrows] at him. I aimed one at his chest, one at his left arm and one at where his left leg is going to be.

It was then that I saw him smirk slightly before swerving downwards and to the right to avoid all three of them. However, when he saw that I had shot three more [Arrows] at him in a slim 'V' formation, he stopped himself. Taking a small moment to slash through the two [Arrows] heading towards his shoulders before rolling quickly to the left to avoid the last one, he looked up at me slightly with raised eyebrows.

"Hm?" he acknowledged, showing that I at least made him pause in his initial charge, which was always hard for me to counter properly.

That respect didn't last very long as he shot upwards at me, crossing the last meter in order to get in range with his sword.

Bringing up my left hand, I parried his thrust whilst throwing my right fist at his side, which didn't seem to have any defense. Showing a good amount of dexterity, Cameron swung his left knee upwards in order to block it, whilst continuing to push against my left hand with his sword.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 2,320/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 2,076/2,400-

* * *

 **-Cameron Phillips-  
** **-HP:** 2,239/2,240-  
 **-MP:** 2,240/2,240-

* * *

Quickly opening my right hand up from where it was pressed against his kneecap, I attempted to grab at his shin, but he quickly spun his whole body clock-wise and pushed me away.

Sending two more [Arrows] at each of his shoulders, I pushed forward again in order to keep him close. I almost always lose instantly when Cameron is able to rush at me from a distance, since I keep trying to think about how he'll attack. Not to mention that it's intimidating and disconcerting to see him moving at a speed that makes him seem like a blur in my vision.

Cameron ducked down in order to avoid the projectiles, before slashing upwards with his sword. Moving closer before taking a quick hop to the side, I managed to **kinda** avoid it...

...well, if you call having a hand-sized chunk of my thigh being sliced off 'avoiding it', then yeah...I 'avoided it'.

Fucking hell that hurts. I couldn't really feel much of my right leg anymore, other than the searing sensation all around the outside of my thigh.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 1,763/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 1,968/2,400-

* * *

However, another thing I learned from fighting this asshole over and over again...

...is how to get over pain.

While I was in the air, I threw another punch with my right hand at his wide-open left rib-cage. However, the moment I started, Cameron was already zipping backwards away from me at 'top speed'.

Ah, so he used [Control Stick Physics] to dodge that.

Seeing that my punch failed, I swung my right hand down to my thigh and begun using my [Hands of Healing] spell, which covered my hand in a green light as a similarly colored magic circle appeared between it and the wound on my thigh.

Dropping to the ground, I noticed that Cameron had retreated five meters and had noticed that I was now healing myself. Rushing towards me again at his 'top speed', I only barely managed to deflect his horizontal swipe with my **[Twice Critical]** by swinging it out.

However, I noticed that I had pretty much **slammed** my gauntlet into his sword, thus forcing him off balance due to the excessive power my swinging arm held.

I might not get another chance, so I sent out six [Arrows] at him, two at his shoulders, two at his knees, one at his stomach and one at his head whilst keeping my [Hands of Healing] active.

Spinning again, I saw him swipe his sword and deflect the ones heading towards his stomach and knees before letting his legs buckle as he ducked to the ground again.

Damn.

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 1,436/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 1,554/2,400-

* * *

Deciding to forgo the healing spell for now, I got ready to block Cameron's upwards thrust aimed at my chest. Catching his blade on my gauntlet, I managed to block it head-on before shooting four [Arrows], two at his shoulders and two at both sides of his rib-cage in order to force him into making another move.

He immediately drew his sword away before holding it horizontally to catch the two [Arrows] heading towards his rib-cage. He then twisted his torso to dodge the two aimed at his shoulders...

...but, in the small interval of time that that took, I managed to swing my right arm downwards at his skull whilst he was pre-occupied with the [Arrows] and his guard wasn't anywhere near hi-SSHHLLLIIIICK.

"FUCK!?" I screamed, kicking backwards with my feet, and stumbling, as I saw my dismembered forearm fly through the air...and feeling my arm explode in pain.

Cameron had merely rolled backwards whilst whipping his sword up to cut off my arm. Continuing his roll, he brought both of his feet back to the ground before he lunged forward again.

Whilst I was off-balance from stumbling backwards after losing my right arm, Cameron rammed his sword through my chest, causing me to wheeze hard after screaming my lungs out of air as I felt the **burning** , **searing** pain start coming from my chest as well.

Then, the familiar 'defeat' screens showed up in front of me.

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/2,400 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

...

"Whoo~! Not bad, man~! **8.92 seconds** , da-yum~! That was considerably better than last time~! You didn't even bring out your sword, either~! I noticed you were a lot more level-headed with your shooting this time, instead of just spamming it in my direction~!" Cameron spoke in such an awed tone that I immediately felt like he was mocking me again.

Taking his sword out of my chest, I managed to remain standing this time, though the pain of losing an arm and being stabbed through the chest is still coursing through my nerves.

Ah well, activating my [Hands of Healing] ability, I got to work on healing myself.

However, when I looked down at my 'stump' of an arm...

...I can definitely say this is the first time I've seen something like this in real life.

"Okay...so apparently [Gamers] also don't have to worry about amputation, huh?" I asked as I saw, though I didn't really **feel** , a bulge of flesh start stretching out from where my arm was severed. The tip of the bulge appeared to be splitting into five, and I'm fairly certain now that I'm capable of **the** **most metal** ability in existence.

Regenerating a lost limb in seconds.

I...honestly expected for my dismembered arm to come slithering back to me and re-attach itself.

But, this is some 'slow-motion Piccolo'-brand bullshit right here.

"Nah, but at least the [System] doesn't make us **feel** it. I guess the [Architect] figured that nobody really wanted to know what re-growing a limb felt like." Cameron commented, watching my arm as well with an amused smirk.

Once I was done healing, I sighed slightly as I pondered over all that happened in that fight.

...

...

What am I missing? What am I doing wrong here?

Taking a moment to open up my 'Status Screen', I looked over my 'Stats' once again. Even though [Perfect Memory] lets me remember everything I did, doing it like this makes it easier to think about.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 20, 2014 **(Canon Start: 964 days)  
** **Time:** 5:39:41 PM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 4 Human):** +4 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 72  
 **EXP** : 16,639,012/23,009,031  
 **HP:** 2,400/2,400 (+602.8 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 2,400/2,400 (+631.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 988 (988+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 724 (652+72+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 952 (952+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 820 (604+216+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 317 (1+288+28)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

...

I focused on STR and AGI this time around, along with putting my 'Stat Bonuses' into MAG due to the kind of fighting I've been doing up till now. I still feel like that was the best decision I could have made, considering how heavily dependent on magic this world is. However, it still doesn't change the fact that I'm still lagging behind Cameron.

I know that his 'Stats' are reduced to the same amounts as mine when we [Duel], but he's somehow faster and stronger than I am.

Of course, he has loads more experience than I do, so it only stands to reason that he's a lot more used to fighting. However, if I'm going to last for fifteen seconds against him in a [Duel], then I'm gonna have to step it up a notch.

I have just the thing to do it too...but I'm gonna need to do quite a few more test runs to make sure that I don't screw it up...

...after all, if it fails, then I'm pretty much screwed.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Kuoh Academy - Student Council Office (General POV)**

 **August 21, 2014 - 12:34 PM - 17 Hours Later...**

Sona stared at the blue magic circle floating over her desk with her eyebrows knitted in worry.

Her sister never showed up yesterday, so she felt that the worry was only natural.

Where was she...

"Lady Sona, you're saying that Lady Serafall didn't appear in Kuoh?" Behemoth asked from the magic circle, his voice tinged with slight disbelief.

Sona sighed deeply.

"Lord Behemoth, if my sister even came within city limits, I'm certain that I would know due to my personal space being violated in...disconcerting ways. She's not the type of person to be naturally sneaky or misleading. She's...also not the type to worry everyone like this. However, right now, we simply need to focus on finding her and ensuring that nothing has happened." Sona spoke, her voice being a tell-tale sign of her worry for this situation, though she forced that down at the end of her explanation.

After all, worrying itself wouldn't do anything.

"I agree. Though, I'll have to assert that you stay in Kuoh. No need to be looking for two of you. I, and the rest of Lady Serafall's Peerage, will handle things here." Behemoth ordered.

"Very well. I'll contact a few people discreetly. We also need to be careful to not...advertise this, to other factions." Sona replied.

And thus, the search began...

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Douglas's Crib - Backyard**

 **August 22, 2014 – 6:16 AM – 17 Hours and 41 Minutes Later...**

"Well, after 316 more [Duels], you've managed to go from **6 seconds** flat to **10.53 seconds**. We keep this up and you should be good to go after another 300 [Duels]. You're making some damn good progress, especially since you've only been a [Gamer] for around 10 days." Cameron sighed as I fell back to the ground from when he uppercut me into the air.

Landing on my back, I saw the 'losing' screens appear in front of me again.

...

"All this time, though, I haven't seen you use that other 'Magic' you picked out. You've used your hand-to-hand 'Skill', your [Affinity] and your healing 'Magic'. What gives, huh? Am I **not worthy** of seeing that other spell?" Cameron asked, a tone of faux-hurt tinging his voice.

Groaning as I sat up and started healing myself again, even though it would be better for me to simply wait it out and let my natural regeneration heal my wounds in order to work on my [Health Regenerator] ability, I looked Cameron in the eye.

"It's a sensory-type 'Magic'. It's helped me keep track of your movements a lot easier, which is probably why I'm lasting so much longer against you." I informed, breathing deeply as I felt all of my wounds fade away along with the pain that accompanies them.

At least I didn't lose an arm this time.

Seriously, take it from me, losing a limb **fucking sucks**!

Cameron's eyebrows raised up in surprise.

"You bought a non-combat related ability? Wow...I...honestly didn't expect that. Well, how's it doing as far as leveling up?" he asked, seemingly far more interested in my ability than I had assumed he would be.

"It's at level 72. It feels a little weird, but I think I'm slowly getting used to it. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to keep track of you when you go all 'Initial D' on me." I replied, before standing back up as I finished healing.

"Well, I'm proud of you. It seems like you're finally starting to think things through." Cameron responded happily as he got back in his stance.

...yeah, I'm thinking things through...

...I have to...

I drank a few **Mana Potions** before sending him another 're-match request'. Getting into my stance, I breathed deeply through my nose.

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-START!-**

* * *

Dashing forward at Cameron the moment the bell rang, I got our [Duel] underway.

Having two red magic circles appear in mid-air in front of me, I launched two arrows at Cameron's shoulders. He stood there with a smirk on his face as he slashed through the one coming on his left with his sword, deflecting it, whilst dodging the one coming at his right.

Figuring that Cameron was gonna let me take the fight to him, I pulled out my sword for the first time in the past 53 [Duels]. I swung my sword horizontally at Cameron, who responded by bracing his sword to block it.

Pushing against one another with our swords, I tried punching at him with my left hand covered in the **[Twice Critical]**. Cameron twisted his sword against mine to block my attack with the hilt. I then shot another [Arrow] at his torso since his guard was mostly down, but he pushed upwards with his sword to deflect the [Arrow] whilst getting out of the sword-lock with me.

Bending my legs and shifting my feet to stop myself from lurching forward at the loss of support from Cameron pushing back against me, I swung horizontally at Cameron again whilst keeping my **[Twice Critical]** close to my body and ready to defend against any attacks he'll try.

And try he did, with a downwards slash that would've caught me before my sword could get to him. Raising my left hand up, I parried the slash by brushing it off of my gauntlet. Cameron then back-stepped away in order to dodge my swing, to which I sent another [Arrow] at him.

That's four, so far...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 2,180/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 2,184/2,400-

* * *

 **-Cameron Phillips-  
** **-HP:** 2,400/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 2,400/2,400-

* * *

Ducking under the [Arrow], he charged towards me again, seemingly intent on making this a close-combat fight.

Swirling my sword in my hand, I swung it around to block a horizontal swing before continuing to swirl it in a quick vertical slash. Sending two more [Arrows] slightly below where Cameron's rib-cage was, I effectively had him trapped.

Back-stepping away quickly, Cameron dodged all of my attacks, to which I sent three more [Arrows] at him in another 'V'-pattern.

Slashing through the one coming on his left, he dodged that way. Dashing forward while he was slashing, I sent an upwards diagonal slash against his momentum.

Shifting slightly, Cameron quickly stopped and reversed his momentum to head back towards the right while cleanly blocking my strike. Making to throw a kick at him, Cameron brought his sword up to chop my leg off.

So, I sent another [Arrow] at him. As he deflected that [Arrow] away, I rushed at him again.

Locking swords, I controlled my pushing against him so that I don't accidentally put too much effort in and end up losing balance should he step back. I saw that he raised up a fist for a straight thrust at my face, so I swerved away whilst parrying his sword to dodge the punch.

Stepping back, I saw him approach while thrusting his sword. Parrying it with my **[Twice Critical]** , I punched with my sword-hand, to which he ducked before continuing forward to elbow me in the gut...which would've happened if I didn't swing downwards with my right arm with my sword out-stretched to the left like a guillotine.

This forced him to dodge to the right, lest he get cut by my sword.

Having shot an [Arrow] down at him, I thought I might actually have gotten him in a position where I landed a hit on him before he stuck his sword into the ground and used it as a fulcrum to swing around and dodge my [Arrow]. As he finished spinning around, he yanked his sword out of the ground and slashed at the air between us to keep me from advancing.

Backing away, to which he did the same, I prepared myself for another exchange. Taking a quick glance to my 'HUD', I figured that this next exchange would be our last...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 2,141/2,400-  
 **-MP:** 1,806/2,400-

* * *

So, I have another 31 shots. Along with **that** , I should be able to stall him long enough for...

...shit. I haven't been keeping track of the time so fa-SHIT!

Seeing Cameron rush towards me again, I quickly focused back on the action and swung my sword in a wide horizontal arc to try and control his approach.

Cameron ducked and slid on the ground to dodge. Shooting five [Arrows] at him in a pair of tight lines that would require at least two slashes for him to get through unscathed.

Cameron, instead, rolled to the side and slashed at my ankles, to which I jumped over whilst bringing my sword down in an over-head slash. Cameron twirled his sword around to parry it, forcing me to crash it into the ground before he kicked out at my abdomen.

Blocking the hit with **[Twice Critical]** , I was buffeted back. I shot four more [Arrows] at him to buy myself time to recover. He slashed through two of them, before jumping up from the ground to dodge the other two. Once he touched his feet on the ground, he shot forward towards me and we locked swords again.

Pushing against each other, whilst Cameron kept attempting to trick me into losing my balance, we tried throwing a few melee attacks. They were largely unsuccessful, due to the fact that I was refusing to let Cameron leave this sword-lock. It was nothing more than a stalling tactic, but I needed to rely on those to last fifteen seconds at this moment.

Cameron eventually had enough and went to pull away completely after a few seconds of being in the sword-lock. As he started back-stepping, I mentally put my sword away and shot my now free hand downward as I activated my **real** other new 'Magic'.

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic: Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] (DXD) – LVL: 0/100 – EXP: 41.6/100% – Rank: E - Active – Cost:** 100 MP/chain  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Binding]  
** **-Description: Allows player to shoot a magical chain from their body. The chain can latch onto or wrap around objects or enemies.  
** **-Power: (MAG*0.2+100) kg  
** **-Limit: 1 chain  
-Length: 2 meters**

* * *

As a light-blue colored magic circle appeared, and from it, a similarly-colored thin string-like chain shot out and attached itself to Cameron's ankle. His eyes widened in surprise as he wasn't expecting something like that after all this time. Grabbing onto the chain quickly and pulling it, I forced Cameron to lose his balance.

Falling downwards to his right, I quickly stepped forward with my left hand cocked back.

Thinking on his feet, Cameron thrust his sword out towards my heart.

Feeling the blade piece into my chest, I launched my arm forward at his face at the same time...

*SCHLICK*

*SMACK*

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 1/2,400 **-**

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-FINISHED-**

 **-Duel Result: LOSS-**

 **-Would you like to issue a re-match Duel Request with the same conditions?-  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Falling over onto the ground due to feeling the pain sprout up from my chest due to this strange sword sticking out of it, I saw these screens pop up in front of me.

However, I watched as Cameron hit the ground and tumbled for a few meters before stopping.

I fell onto my ass and stared in shock at what just happened. Glancing down to my **[Twice Critical]** -clad hand, it finally clicked in my head.

I landed a punch, clean on Cameron's face.

...

"...Not bad, Doug. Not bad at all..." Cameron remarked as he rubbed his chin from his similar position on the ground.

Continuing to glance at my hand, I felt a spike of pain in my chest and decided to get to healing. Delicately pulling the sword out of my chest, I decided to forgo the use of my healing spell and drink two **Health Potions** instead, since it was mildly quicker. Once I was done drinking, I just looked at the **[Twice Critical]** on the back of my left hand again.

...

"Why didn't you block i-I **couldn't**." I started to ask, before Cameron cut me off with a hard edge to his voice.

What the heck's up with him? He took that hit on purpose, I know he did.

I'll never understand women...

"...well, anyways...how'd I do?" I asked, almost fearing for the answer as I glanced away from my **[Twice Critical** ]. If I wasn't able to last fifteen seconds this time, then I doubt I'd get another chance. Not without Cameron basically forfeiting the [Duel] altogether, like he probably did this time.

Taking a small pause to glance at me with a small smirk on his lips, he seemed to be savoring this moment for some reason...

"... **15.03**."

...

"H-Huh!?" I gasped slightly, immediately thinking that he might be playing a prank on me again.

"You heard me, scrub. You did it." Cameron stated, putting his sword away in his 'Inventory'.

At that moment, three golden screens popped up in front of me...

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** - **Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** -Defeat '?'

 **(Optional)  
** _-'?'  
_ _-'?''_

 **Time Limit:** 8 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
 _-'?'  
_ _-'?''_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

 **-A new 'ID' has opened up due to a [Quest Objective] being completed!-  
**

 **-[ID: Create – Wolves LVL: 1]-  
**

 **-Would you like to go to this 'ID' now?-  
**

 **+Yes  
**

 **+No**

* * *

 **-Congratulations! You have reached Level 30!-**

 **-You have gained access to the 'Boss ID' [ID: Wolf Den Mountains]!-**

 **-Do you wish to go there now? Or do you wish to prepare first?-**

 **\+ Go there now!**

 **\+ I'd rather be safe than sorry...**

* * *

Pressing 'no', and the equivalent, on both of the latter screens for the time being along with dismissing the screen with the [Quest] details on it, I looked to Cameron to find him smirking at me.

"Don't fucking sell yourself short on this, Doug. You did it. And, if you don't believe me, then go into that new 'training ID' of your's on your own. See just how badass you've gotten." he encouraged, though it sounded like he was frustrated at something.

Sighing slightly, I figured that it might be best to not call him out on his bullshit and just go.

Exiting the 'Empty ID', I went ahead and entered the 'Wolves ID'.

Time to see how I screw this one up...

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib – Backyard (General POV)**

 **6:36 AM** – **15 Minutes Later...**

Sitting in a blue portable lawn chair with a box of pizza resting on the arm of the seat, Cameron Phillips was having a rather nice day.

He had his fun with beating the shit out of his scrawny blonde-haired friend, before being soundly punched in the face by said friend due to the idiot coming up with an admittedly decent strategy.

Who would've thought, huh!?

Enjoying a slice of some of the worst smelling pizza on the face of the planet (roasted garlic and pineapple), Cameron sighed in contentment as he revelled in the peace and quiet of his friend's backyard.

...

Well that is, you know, **before** an unexpected guest happened to walk around to the backside of the house to look upon the green t-shirt and brown shorts clad asshole sitting in a gaudy-looking lawn chair with a slice of bad pizza in his hand.

Yep, that typically ruins the visage of peacefulness.

Sighing slightly, Cameron slunk in his seat as he eyed the newcomer.

Standing proud at 6 foot even, with medium-length dark brown (nearly black) hair and a young complexion, the newcomer looked every bit as casual as the reclined [Gamer]. With a rather impressive swimmer's physique, the young man who was walking into the yard wore his combo of tight-fitting white t-shirt, black denim pants, and unbuttoned black over-shirt quite well. With every step into the yard, the black-and-white sneakers the young man wore flattened the grass. From behind his darkly tinted eye-glasses, the young man stared directly at the other occupant of the yard as he approached him.

Raising an eyebrow at the new arrival, Cameron spoke.

"Whatcha doin' here, Russell~?" he spoke, a friendly vibe emanating from his voice. 'Russell' merely approached him until he stopped five feet away from the seated young man.

"Is Doug here? I saw that he unlocked his second dungeon. I wasn't able to come here right away, but I still wanted to talk to him." the newcomer asked, his semi-deep voice saturated with anticipation and a small amount of excitement.

Cameron just shook his head.

"Nah. Sorry, bro, you just missed him. Once our [Duel] was over, I went ahead and told him to just go straight into the 'training ID', because he had started trying to pass off the credit for actually achieving something." Cameron informed, placing the slice of pizza in his hand into the box before setting the box on the ground.

Sighing slightly, Russell scratched the back of his head.

"Is he still doing his whole 'self-deprecation' thing? I would've thought that becoming a [Gamer] would've helped him with that." Russell asked, sounding just a wee-bit frustrated at his blonde-haired friend.

Cameron nodded.

"Yep." Cameron responded, stressing the 'p' at the end.

"I see. How is he doing?" Russell asked, changing the topic slightly. Cameron just crossed his arms over his chest. Staying quiet for a moment, Cameron mulled over his thoughts before speaking...

"Russell...he's...amazing. It's only been around 10 days, but he's already gotten over his [Dis-Connect]." Cameron informed, his tone becoming completely serious.

...

"...Cameron, 91% of [Gamers] take at least three weeks to get over their [Dis-Connect]. Hell, even Serena took two weeks..." Russell stated, obviously not believing that Cameron was telling the truth. Cameron glared slightly at the ground before looking back up.

"Russell, he managed to land a **clean** **punch** on me in our last [Duel]. And I wasn't exactly going easy on him." Cameron remarked, a hint of frustration gnawing at his tone.

Russell just blinked.

"A [5th Tier] got punched by a scrub? You...wait, no...you wouldn't mention that unless it were true. What kinds of restrictions were you working with?" Russell asked, his sense of reason telling him that Cameron was telling the truth.

Now, he just needs to find out more about that truth...

"No abilities, a regular sword, and 60% of his 'Stats'. We had 316 [Duels] before-hand, though we also had quite a few before he was **required** to do it, but he had lied to me about one of his spells. He had me thinking it was a sensory-type 'Magic', but it was actually a binding 'Magic'. I...think that he used all those [Duels] before the final one to learn how to fight, whilst keeping his ace up his sleeve. Then, in the final [Duel], he gave it his all and surprised me by bringing out an ability that I wasn't expecting." Cameron explained, rubbing his head as he pondered over his friend's decisions.

Russell merely listened to it all before sighing and smirking at the seated male.

"Going at 60%? I thought we agreed that you'd restrict yourself to 50%?" Russell commented, not sounding very concerned about it seeing as the blonde-haired idiot turned [Gamer] managed to make do even with Cameron having access to more 'oomph' than was intended.

Cameron simply shrugged at the mild accusation.

"Ah well~!" Cameron replied in a frivolous tone.

Chuckling at the guy sitting in front of him, mostly because he must have been giving Douglas an incredibly hard time when they were fighting, Russell decided to get down to business on a much more serious note.

"So...how did he take it? Does he hate us?" Russell asked, obviously concerned about the answer. Cameron simply turned his gaze away whilst taking a rather shaky breath.

Russell didn't exactly take to that reaction very kindly.

"...no. No no no. Do **not** fucking joke with me, Cameron. You told him, right!? You had to have!" Russell raised his voice slightly, bringing himself to tower over the asshole sitting in front of him.

Cameron grasped the arms of his chair as he looked the taller male in his eyes.

"...I couldn't. Hell, I felt like he almost figured it out himself at one point! That alone nearly gave me a freaking heart-attack!" Cameron replied defensively. Russell reached his right hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose over his glasses.

"Oh, **fuck me** , Cameron! I go through **HELL** to let you be here and you **don't fucking tell him!?** " Russell yelled, glaring hard at the seated male's slightly guilty face from behind his glasses.

Cameron roughly stood up to get in Russell's face with his answer.

"He's **happy** now, Russell! Just a couple of days ago, he was talking with a **girl**! Hell, he'll probably **get with her**! And, here **I** am, being a 'mentor' to him, watching over him and trying to have my best friend **enjoy himself**! Do you fucking know how **long** it's been since I've seen him!? How long it's been since **ALL OF US** have seen him!? Do you really want to fucking ruin this, just because it's **our fault** that he's here in the first place!?"

...

...

"This was never about **us** , Cameron. I never would've put in that request if this was about **the gang**. This little venture we put ourselves on is for Doug's sake. I know him, and so do you. Do any of us think that he'd be 'happy' knowing that he's now trapped in the [System] for all of eternity? No. But, it was either this, **or we lose him forever**. We chose this, Cameron. Doug has a right to know **why** he's here, and what **we** did to him." Russell responded in level tone, his voice barely above a whisper as he stood in front of Cameron with a stoic expression.

With each staring down the other to the death, the two males with conflicting views seemed like they would almost come to blows...

...well, that is, until Russell sneezed.

"Achoo~!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks."

...

...

"You need to tell him, Cameron. Either you do it, or I will. Doug's not a child. Yeah, he may end up hating us for ruining his life, but I'd rather not feel like I only have his friendship because we're keeping secrets from him. I'm not built like that, and neither are any of us." Russell stated his ultimatum, before turning and beginning to walk back the way he came.

Staying silent, Cameron simply glared at the other male's back. Once he was sure that Russell was gone, Cameron sighed and sat back down in his seat.

"At least he's alive." Cameron reasoned, grabbing another slice of pizza and attempting to relax his nerves before his friend was done with his little 'confidence boosting trip'...

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib (Douglas POV)**

 **August 24, 2014 - 9:05 AM – 1 Day, 2 Hours and 29 Minutes Later...**

Getting up from my **Enchanted Bed** tentatively, I sighed in relief when the slight discomfort I felt didn't intensify in the slightest.

It has been at least a week since I last used my bed that increases my 'EXP Gain Rate', and I plan to take advantage of that fact properly.

Leaving my room and walking to my kitchen, I exited out the back door that I had installed recently (for reasons).

Standing in my backyard, my brown-haired friend seemed to be waiting for me.

Approaching him while putting on a new **Leather Jacket (Black)** that I bought due to this new 'Wolf ID' being set in a rather cold climate, I asked a question that I thought about late last night (again, for reasons).

"Hey, I was kinda curious, but whenever I look at the clothes that I've had on ever since I became a [Gamer], I've noticed that they say stuff like **3XL** **T-Shirt (White) (Basic)** and **Baggy** **Denim Jeans (Blue) (Basic)**. I also noticed that their 'durability' is the same as my **[Twice Critical]**...why is that?" I asked. Cameron cocked his head to the side and sighed.

"Well, the **(Basic)** -tag just means that they're regular clothing. They aren't 'enchanted', nor do they offer any bonuses to your 'Stats'. A lot of [Gamers] would like to just wear whatever they want without being bothered by that stuff. You can get pretty much any kind of clothing or armor and have it be **(Basic)**. For the higher tier of [Gamers], though, the more you rely on clothes and armor to protect you, the less skilled you are." he replied succinctly, before motioning me to 'get on with it'.

...

...I feel like I'm just wasting valuable time right now.

Using [ID: Create], I entered into the level 10 version of the 'Wolf ID'. I wouldn't have wanted to do this before, but now that Cameron's coming along, I can live on the edge a bit...

* * *

 **[ID: Create – Wolves LVL 10]**

Spawning in the middle of a snow-covered forested area similar in shape and size to the ones in the 'Puppet ID', with all the trees being barren and lifeless, I waited just a moment for Cameron to show up.

Popping up next to me, he grinned slightly as we looked past the tree-line to see a few of my new favorite enemies.

Using [Observe] on the three grey-colored 5 foot-tall fur-balls running towards us from beyond the tree-line, in a much faster pace than I was used to them being able to go (which is a no-brainer since, besides the first time I entered this dungeon, I've been going in the level 2 versions up till now), I saw their significantly bullshit 'Stats'.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Omega Wolf  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 11  
 **HP:** 5,000/5,000  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 2,100  
 **END:** 1,650  
 **AGI:** 2,500  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

Bringing up my 'Status Screen', since I really wanted to see the massive amount of EXP I'm gonna be gaining from these guys, and forming my left hand into a 'finger gun', I took aim at the approaching Omega Wolves. Considering that these guys like to dodge once they enter the circular area, I'm planning on taking them down before they get here. Letting loose three [Arrows], hitting each of them with one, I watched as the [Arrows] exploded and completely decimated them in the same instant that they crossed the threshold into the circular area we were in...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 24, 2014 **(Canon Start: 960 days)  
** **Time:** 9:06:01 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 4 Human):** +4 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 76  
 **EXP** : 891,438/47,711,554  
 **HP:** 2,720/2,720 (+683.3 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 2,720/2,720 (+739.1 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1,312 (1,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 728 (652+76+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 952 (952+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1,156 (928+228+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 335 (1+304+30)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

 **-EXP:** 1,026,438/47,711,554-

* * *

I literally just got **135,000** **EXP** from those Omega Wolves. Normally, they give 1,000 EXP a piece, but with them being their 'level 10'-versions, along with my '4.5x EXP Gain Buff' being active, I just brought in the equivalent of killing **4,500** **'level 10'** **Puppets** within a single second.

"This is stupid." I remarked, looking at my 'EXP Count'.

It really was.

"Oh, I'm just remembering a week ago, when you were astounded at getting hundreds of EXP per kill. It's so cute, it's killing me~!" Cameron cooed in a mocking tone, though I admit that I certainly was amazed back then as well.

"Yeah...but I wasn't getting **45,000 EXP** a pop for any of them. These guys are even weaker than the Kings, but they're still giving more EXP than they ever did." I replied, before closing my 'Status Screen' and starting to run to the next area.

After all, there's EXP to be had here.

Cameron jogged lightly beside me, easily keeping pace.

"Yeah, but you might want to be ready to hunker down. A big rule of thumb for [Gamers] is that the first dungeon is too easy, the second is very rewarding, but the third takes forever to access. You're probably gonna be stuck mooching off these guys for a while, so you better get used to it. You also might want to save your 'Stat Points' a little, just in case." Cameron advised.

Coming into the next snowy area, I saw a group of five Omega Wolves running towards us.

Making my 'finger gun' again, I aimed and shot off five more [Arrows], though I missed on two of them. As three of the Wolves perished in an instant, two of them broke into the clearing...and were frozen in place by Cameron's ability, just as the Puppets were.

"Tsk tsk tsk~! You need to aim better. Or else all those points you threw into MAG will be useless~!"

"Yeah yeah" I replied to Cameron's mockery by firing two more [Arrows], hitting the two over-sized puppies and killing them in an instant as well.

For those not keeping track, I just got another **225,000 EXP** within a few seconds.

This is stupid. This is stupid. This is stupid.

...but, I'm okay with stupid~!

Moving along through the rest of these areas with the same strategy that I've been relying on when it came to superior monsters, it took us very little time to go through, as I have dubbed it, 'Zone 1'.

* * *

 **Zone 2 – 20 Minutes Later...**

Continuing at our current pace after dealing with the area containing 93 Omega Wolves, we came to the start of 'Zone 2'.

"God, this is so much easier than last time! *glug* *glug*"

As we ran, I brought out two **Mana Potions** and downed them (you get a slight tolerance to drinks that taste like cat piss after a while)...

Coming into the next area, Cameron and I saw three six foot tall black wolves running towards the clearing from within the tree-line.

Using [Observe] on them, and forming my 'finger gun', I decided to wait on these guys, since they're a lot more slippery than the Omega Wolves.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Beta Wolf  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 12  
 **HP:** 10,000/10,000  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 3,200  
 **END:** 2,200  
 **AGI:** 3,100  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

Allowing them to enter the clearing, I watched as Cameron activated his ability on them. They froze up, just like all the others have in Cameron's presence.

Shooting one [Arrow] at each of them, with each arrow containing 77 MP worth of power, I took out the three Beta Wolves without any more difficulty than their grey-haired friends.

...

Yep, **249,750 EXP**. That's **83,250** **EXP** per fur-ball.

"Again, this is stupid." I remarked, watching as the black-haired monsters disintegrated.

"Dude, you've said that a dozen times now. It's starting to get on my nerves." Cameron replied, his tone sending the vibe that it would definitely be a good idea to stop with the 'bitching'.

"Sorry." I apologized in a fairly easy manner.

* * *

 **Zone 3 – 20 Minutes Later...**

...

Thinking back slightly as Cameron and I ran towards the start of 'Zone 3', I have to admit that the abilities that I gained when I hit 1,000 STR and MAG would probably be quite convenient in future endeavors.

* * *

 **(((STR)))**

 **+[Perfect Throw] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-Allows the player to throw any object with near perfect aim so long as they have enough STR. Though this ability doesn't account for moving targets, experience will increase it's effectiveness.**

 **(((MAG)))**

 **+[Magic Aura] – LVL: MAX – Active - MP Used:** 10%/minute  
 **-Allows the player to exert their magical energy as a physical aura. This ability is useful for intimidation.  
** **-Force Exerted: .001 psi * MAG**

* * *

[Perfect Throw] will probably be helpful in pretty much any fight I get into. [Magic Aura] might be able to help once I put more points into MAG.

Imagine, being able to create a nuclear-level blast just by exerting a little magic.

Coming into the next area, I used [Observe] on the three eight foot tall snow-white Wolves running towards us from within the trees.

Yeah, you heard that correctly.

Eight.

Foot.

Tall.

Wolves.

And, with them being the color of the snow, they blend in exceptionally well to the environment.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Alpha Wolf  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 13  
 **HP:** 13,000/13,000  
 **MP:** 0/0

 **STR:** 3,750  
 **END:** 2,800  
 **AGI:** 3,500  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 0  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

...

I did the same thing as I did against the Beta Wolves, though with more MP. I put 108 MP, which was boosted to 120 MP due to my [Affinity], into each [Arrow] in order to take each Wolf down.

Oh, and they gave **103,500 EXP** each.

* * *

 **1 Hour Later...**

Taking out the last few Wolves from the two 'mixed zones', Cameron and I came up to a glowing purple barrier blocking the walkway to the next area. Sighing slightly as I remembered what it said when I tried entering it before, I just turned to Cameron.

"We can't go any further. The next area has the mid-bosses." I spoke. Cameron just nodded.

"Yeah, they have to keep **some** things a surprise." Cameron agreed.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Douglas's Crib - Backyard**

 **9:06 PM - 12 Hours after Waking Up...**

* * *

 **-Loot Obtained!-**

-234,000 Yen

-265x Wolf Fur (Grey)

-92x Spiritual Herbs

* * *

Dismissing the latest 'Loot Screen' that popped up in front of me, I sighed in relief at having finally completed my second round of 'grinding like an insane psychopath', as Cameron puts it...

After having gone through the 'Wolf ID' 7 times, along with fighting the Omega Wolves an extra time, I finished my 'pre-Boss ID'-grinding and...well, quite honestly...

...I 'got gud'...

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 24, 2014 **(Canon Start: 960 days)  
** **Time:** 9:06:43 PM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 4 Human):** +4 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 90  
 **EXP** : 328,562,344/612,577,743  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+944.7 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1003.3 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1,312 (1,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 742 (652+90+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 952 (952+0+0+0)  
 **INT:** 316 (316+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 1,198 (928+270+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 397 (1+360+36)

 **Stat Points:** 5,508

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

Alrighty, I'll go ahead and bring both END and AGI up to 1,000. Even if I'm completely superior to the Wolves at their regular levels, it'll be added security...

Plus, I'll get two new abilities, so yeah...

* * *

 **-END:** 1,000 (910+90+0+0)-

 **-AGI:** 1,000 (1,000+0+0+0)-

* * *

 **-Congratulations!-  
** **-Your Base END is 1,000 or more!-  
** **-New 'Skill' Obtained!-**

 **+[Second Chance] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **-If the player is at 100% HP and is hit with an attack that will absolutely kill them, the player will survive the attack with 1% of their HP remaining. WARNING: THIS HURTS!**

* * *

 **-Congratulations!-  
** **-Your Base AGI is 1,000 or more!-  
** **-New 'Skill' Obtained!-**

 **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 0/100% - Active  
** **-Allows the player an extra jump in mid-air. For every 5 levels, another jump will be added.  
** **-Number of extra jumps: 1**

* * *

...

Glancing over to Cameron to find him relaxing in his...

...disgustingly beautiful blue lawn chair with his back to me, I smirked slightly at the screens in front of me.

Dismissing them silently, I bent my knees and got ready to jump.

Putting all the force I felt I could muster into my legs, I propelled myself off the ground an-"WHOA!?"

Screaming like an Australian who just discovered surfing and booze, I watched as I left the ground a lot further behind me than I had thought I would.

I must've jumped at least 40 feet into the air.

Falling forward slightly, due to not balancing myself properly when I jumped, I kicked my feet out again and struck something that felt solid in mid-air.

Rocketing forward and upwards, I traveled through the air for a good thirty feet or so before gravity seemed to kick in rather forcibly.

Falling back to the ground, I landed cleanly and bent my knees to absorb...the significantly smaller impact than I would've ever expected.

Seriously, it felt like a negligible jolt through my legs, like I just took a heavy step out of the blue.

"Heh heh, still a scrub~..."

Turning my head back to see Cameron smirking at me like I was the most adorable thing in the world at that moment, I gave him a good glare.

"Oh, forgive me for not being able to teleport between god-level dimensions and rip the very fabric of reality to shreds whenever I bat an eyelash. Jumping thirty-plus feet into the air was just a **little** **bit** of a surprise." I responded, quickly opening up my 'Skills Screen' to see how much I improved upon my new [Air Jump] ability.

Seriously, this will be such an incredible ability. The only thing that **might** be able to beat it is something like flight or teleportation. Or hovering.

Hovering is cool.

* * *

 **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 1/100% - Active**

* * *

...

1% per jump.

...

Meh, that's actually not bad considering how often I'll use it. Not to mention it's pretty much a freebie.

Now, for one last little thing. Opening up my 'Store Screen' and going to the 'Clothing/Armor' tab, I decided to buy some new duds for the 'Boss ID' I'm about to enter.

Typing a few words into the 'search bar', I looked through the selection of various types of 'winter clothing'. Finding a few things after a minute that looked nice, I went ahead and bought them.

* * *

 **-Store-**

 **-Clothing/Armor-**

 **+Bekesha Winter Coat (White) (Basic) - Rarity: Uncommon  
** **-Price: 15,000 Yen  
** **-Type: Coat  
** **-Durability: N/A**

 **+Wool Shirt (Black) (Basic) - Rarity: Common  
** **-Price: 10,000 Yen  
** **-Type: Shirt  
** **-Durability: N/A**

 **+Wool Pants (Black) (Basic) - Rarity: Common  
** **-Price: 10,000 Yen  
** **-Type: Pants  
** **-Durability: N/A**

 **+Combat Boots (Black) (Basic) - Rarity: Common  
** **-Price: 11,500 Yen  
** **-Type: Footwear  
** **-Durability: N/A**

* * *

Equipping all of these articles of clothing after I bought them, I looked over to Cameron to see that he was just sitting there eating a hoagie...

"Well, I think I'll stop wasting time and go into the 'Boss ID' now." I informed Cameron, opening up my coat to show the sheepskin on the inside. Naturally, for anyone who has furry or fuzzy clothing, I **had** to run my hands over the sheepskin.

It's so fwuffy~!

"Mm, sho, gwo h'uck em uhp~." he replied to me with his mouth full whilst giving me a 'thumbs up'.

...

"Garlic is not meant to be ingested in such large quantities." I replied, mentally using [ID: Create - Wolf Den Mountains].

* * *

 **(General POV)**

Watching as his friend left to go complete his second 'Boss ID', Cameron simply swallowed before chewing on the inside of his lip.

"...he's happy. I can't jeopardize that." he mumbled, looking at the hoagie in his hands and feeling as if he lost his momentary burst of appetite.

"..."

Sitting there in silence, Cameron just thought about all he'd been through with the blonde. Searching through his memories, he reminisced about all the good times...

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Kuoh Academy - Occult Research Club Room (General POV)**

 **...Same time...**

Kneeling on the ground in the corner of the dimly lit room, was Rias and her entire Peerage. However, the mood was rather solemn and serious, since Rias was currently speaking to a holographic projection of a red-haired man wearing noble clothes coming out of a glowing red magic circle.

Looking up at the man, Rias spoke in shock.

"Lady Serafall has been missing for four days now!? Is there any news as to her whereabouts? Is she okay!?" Rias hurriedly asked the man in the projection, her tone speaking nothing but worry for one of the leaders of her entire race.

The man in the projection just sighed.

"Rias. I believe the word 'missing' would have answered your questions. We have no idea where she is, nor do we even know if she's alive. However, knowing Serafall, she's most likely alive. I merely wanted to inform you...and order all of you as the Devil King to stay in Kuoh and do nothing. Actually, the only reason I'm even informing you of this is so you know to stay out of Sona's way when it comes to assisting with the search. We're doing everything we can to find her, but I just wanted to make sure that you didn't get any bright ideas. This is a very...precarious situation, and one that I cannot stress enough that you **must** stay out of." the so-called 'Devil King' spoke, a cold tone present in his voice.

Rias merely gulped at the tone she heard the man use. It was the kind of tone he used when he got serious.

"B-But, B-Big Brother, I-...we can help! Lady Serafall has been very kind to me throughout my childhood. S-She also helped me become a 'Governor' of Kuoh! Let us help!" Rias passionately spoke, though her voice cracked slightly.

Glaring at the girl that looked like a female younger-version of himself, the man did not seem to appreciate the sentiment.

"Rias, if I have to repeat myself, I assure you that you and your whole Peerage will be brought back to the Underworld, with or without consent. And I think **all of us** understand what **that** would mean. We can't risk a political uprising should you step on the wrong person's turf, or speak imprudently to a less-than-altruistic being." the man reiterated in a 'no-nonsense' tone.

Paling at the thought of being forced to come back to the Underworld, Rias just bowed her head deeply.

"Y-Yes...I'm s-sorry, Lord Sirzechs." Rias spoke shakily. The man just sighed before turning to look at the rest of the nervous girls in the room.

"I'm afraid to say the same applies to the rest of you kids as well. I'm very well aware that my little sister allows all of you to enjoy nigh-unlimited privilege in the human world, but this is a time when you need to silence yourselves and follow orders. If worst comes to worst, the potential tension that this situation could create might cause another war." Sirzechs advised, making sure that each of them understood.

Bowing deeply to the man, all three of the other girls in the room spoke in time with one another.

"We understand, Lord Sirzechs."

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] (Douglas POV)**

When the flash of light that accompanies any use of [ID: Create] faded away, I found myself...standing on, what seemed like, a terrace on one side of a mountain-top on one side of a circle-shaped mountain range. There was a forest of trees like there were in the [Dark Puppet's Temple] between all the mountains. Through the center of the circle, was what vaguely seemed to be a 500+ feet high wall of stone that divides the circle in half. However, other than that, there weren't any noticeable landmarks or pathways for me to follow, from what I could see.

As a matter of fact, if I didn't know better, I'd assume that I was in the Himalayas or something.

It was snowing all over the mountain range, or at least, as far as I could see. However, it didn't seem like the snow falling from the sky wasn't **actually** accumulating on the ground. It was simply covered with a dusty layer of snow that was less than an inch thick.

Video game logic...

Taking that into account, I should still be able to move fairly easily. I might have to be a little careful to not slip, though, just to be safe...

Deciding to use a trick that Cameron taught me, I started using [Observe] several times in a radar-like fashion on each mountain.

He told me that the actual dungeon would be un-observable. He didn't explain why, but if any of my [Observes] come back negative, I'll know which direction to go.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **+Mountain - Rarity: *shrug*  
** **-Description: A mountain.  
** **-Height: 1324.3 meters  
** **-Min. Slope: 4.12 degrees  
** **-Max. Slope: 28.95 degrees**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **+Mountain - Rarity: *shrug*  
** **-Description: A mountain.  
** **-Height: 1219.1 meters  
** **-Min. Slope: 5.48 degrees  
** **-Max. Slope: 14.67 degrees**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **+Mountain - Rarity: *shrug*  
** **-Description: A mountain.  
** **-Height: 1688.4 meters  
** **-Min. Slope: 3.56 degrees  
** **-Max. Slope: 11.01 degrees**

* * *

 **-Non-Observable-**

* * *

Stopping on that mountain, I saw that it was completely opposite of the one that I am currently standing on in regards to the circle of mountains.

Go figure.

It's the **furthest one away** , and the one that will require me to go **through the most obstacles** to get to...

Because of the weather, though, it was more of a large shadow in the distance. Sighing, I ran towards the edge of the terrace I was on.

Reaching the edge, I was greeted by a red screen blocking my way.

* * *

 **-You are now leaving the Exit Point!-**

 **-[ID: Escape] is prohibited until Dungeon is Cleared!-**

 **-Do you wish to leave the Exit Point?-**

 **+Yes**

 **+No**

* * *

Pressing 'yes' on the screen, and subsequently dismissing the next one due to it being the same one I encountered in the previous 'Boss ID', I glanced down from the edge of the slope to see what I was dealing with here...

Seeing that there was maybe a ten foot drop before it led down in a gentle slope, I went ahead and hopped down. Once I landed, I started running down the mountain...

After about thirty seconds, though, I heard the sound of growling, paws running and jaws snapping. From the sound of it, it was a small pack of Wolves being quite rowdy.

"There's my welcoming party. Now, where are they...huh?" I slowed down to prepare myself for a fight, though I noticed that the sounds weren't anywhere near me.

Turning my head and attempting to find out the general direction of the sounds, I determined that they were coming from my left, around 300 feet away.

Looking over, I couldn't really see due to a few small hills of snow that may have formed over boulders and such.

Running in that direction, since it seems like the sounds were getting further and further away, I started hearing them clearly.

After about three or four seconds of running at top speed, whilst moving to avoid an occasional patch of three foot high snow, I caught sight of a furry beast turning into a small alcove in the mountain-side.

However, the speed it was going at would suggest that it was chasing something.

Moving slightly to the left and traveling up onto a ten-feet tall mound on the edge of the alcove, I managed to see what was happening in the crevice a little bit, and saw that the Wolves were indeed chasing something...

...well, **someone** , but I digress.

Getting closer, I was able to make out the person as being a female, wearing a tattered black dress with a lot of rips in it. It was a bit tough to make it out from this distance, but her body seemed very developed. She was also somewhat taller than I was...

The only other thing I noticed that really stuck out to me was that she was limping rather heavily whenever her right foot hit the ground in her clumsy run.

Getting even closer, whilst staying out of sight, I saw her finally come to a dead end when the alcove merged together into a large wall of snow. She had nowhere else to go, and I doubted that most normal people would still have enough energy in themselves to go anywhere if they were in a state like that.

"Stupid mutts...you're lucky...I don't have...my powers..." the woman breathed out heavily, bracing her back against the wall as she stared the Wolves down in a rather calm manner for someone who was facing nigh-certain death.

I saw her slump even more, and though I couldn't make it out completely, I'm rather certain that she passed out.

The Wolves were all growling and snapping their jaws as they surrounded her unconscious body. I quickly focused on trying to decide whether or not to step in.

I mean, it's not like I would have a legitimate reason not to, unless she was a bad guy...

I have an easy way of verifying that!

Taking a moment to use [Observe] on the woman, I believe that my decision just became a lot simpler...

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **-Author's Note-**

 **The plot thickens...**

 **As far as to how many other [Gamers] Douglas will come into contact in this story, it will be limited to Cameron and Russell. The reasons are simple, and will be explained at a later date.**

 **I've tried doing research into the name of the build that Douglas will be going for. Something along the lines of a _Spellsword-_ style, or a 'Sorcerer/Swordsman/Brawler'-hybrid. It's not the most creative of builds, but it is almost exclusively combat-oriented and quite effective in many different combat situations.**

 **Yes, I know that I didn't have him upgrade the [Twice Critical] into the [Boosted Gear]. There are legitimate reasons for that decision, that will be explained...**

 **The reason I didn't explain the 'Wolf ID' in super great detail is because, at his current level, Douglas would decimate it. It seemed like it would've just been a useless add-on. He has fought the Wolves without Cameron's assistance, though, so he DOES know what to expect as far as their 'patterns'. That will be shown in the next chapter, though it will still be one-sided as fuck...**

 **If anyone remembers the end of Chapter 8 Part 2, the thing in the chest will be brought up again when it's relevant. It wasn't just a cliff-hanging joke, I promise.**

 **Until next time, you lovely people (and you flamers)!**


	13. Chapter 10 - Wolf Den Mountains

**Whoo~!**

 **I finally updated~!**

 **It only took a mother-fucking MONTH!**

 **I _COULD_ give a lot of excuses, and thus I shall.**

 **(Note that this is neither a request nor an invitation for anyone to pity me. I'm just explaining why I haven't updated in a long time.)**

 **Excuse #1: There is a character in this chapter whose interactions were...confusing for me to think about. I'd write half of a rough draft of the damn chapter, then feel like the interactions are either not acceptable or completely drab. I've rewritten this chapter a total of five times, before deciding to say screw it. I'll pick the safest and easiest option and just make the interactions more meaningful down the road.**

 **Excuse #2: I've started watching Bleach. I've been skipping a lot of the filler content, because it's boring even by the standards of shows like One Piece. I've already gotten up to the start of the Shinigami vs. Aizen's Army fight. Badass, and fun to watch, but I want to punch Ichigo in the fucking face at times. Plus, why did he have SO MUCH TROUBLE against Grimmjow in Hueco Mundo!? He fucking pummeled him in his Hollow Form when they last fought on Earth!? And, Ichigo can apparently disregard the time limit on his Hollow Form now! So why couldn't he just fuck Grimmjow up!?**

 **Excuse #3: I've started and completed a platinum run of FF XIII. 179 hours of my life have been spent wisely.**

 **Excuse #4: My phone broke down and stopped recognizing my SIM card. It doesn't seem like an excuse to not write this story, but it was really freaking frustrating and definitely didn't inspire me to write a whole lot!**

 **Excuse #5: I've quit college and am now working in an IT department at a company. Turns out that a BS doesn't really mean as much as the US Government wants you to believe. That's been eating up forty hours a week, plus road time.**

 **Excuse #6: I haven't really kept up with the news on the hurricanes that hit the US recently, but I do know that I've gotten hit by remnants of them hard enough to lose power and internet for a while. That's like a death sentence for a geek/weeaboo/otaku wannabe like myself.**

 **Excuse #7: Honestly, I just found a whole bunch of other stuff more interesting at the time. Sue me.**

* * *

 **Note #1: I made a mistake concerning Douglas's bed that gives him the EXP Gain buff. Apparently, 7 divided by 2 doesn't equal 3. He was SUPPOSED to be earning 4.5x EXP during all those grinds, so I had to go back and redo all of that math. He was bumped up to a higher level for it, though, which is nice.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Wolf Den Mountains**

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains]**

 **9:15 PM - Six Minutes Later...**

Stepping into a small cave at the base of the mountain that I started out on that went no further than 12 meters into the mountain-side, with an opening about 5 meters wide, I sighed slightly as I turned back around and looked outside to see if there was any sign of more Wolves coming towards us.

Seeing none, I moved over to a smooth area on the floor and carefully placed the unconscious body of the female I rescued down. Once I did so, I went into the 'Store' and quickly bought a second set of winter clothing, similar to mine, though I bought properly-sized female snow boots instead of combat boots.

Now, there's this thing about dressing an unconscious girl...

...

After a moment of debate, I decided to just place most of the clothes beside her and simply wrap her up in the **Bekesha Coat (White)** that I got her.

Buying a couple of blocks of firewood and a hip-mounted scabbard for my sword from the 'Store', I set them up a couple of feet from the sleeping beauty and lit them with an [Arrow of Fire].

As the cave took on an amber glow from the light of the fire, I looked over at the voluptuous blonde 19-year old and brought up her 'Observed Screen' again...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Lavinia Reni  
 **Age:** 19  
 **Birthday:** January 14  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Affiliation:** Grauzauberer, Slash/Dog Team

 **+Sacred Gear – [Absolute Demise]** (NULLIFIED)

 **LVL:** 89  
 **HP:** 300/300 (RESTRICTED)  
 **MP:** 0/0 (NULLIFIED)

 **STR:** 150 (RESTRICTED)  
 **END:** 300 (RESTRICTED)  
 **AGI:** 150 (RESTRICTED)  
 **INT:** 9,568  
 **MAG:** 0 (NULLIFIED)  
 **LUK:** 0 (NULLIFIED)

* * *

They never really went into detail concerning Lavinia Reni's appearance in 'DxD', and maybe not even 'SLASH/DOG'.

Having a nice pale complexion, her overall facial structure was **extremely** European. She was around 5'8", give or take. Her hair, even pre-canon, was hip-length, shiny and flowing whilst being a light-golden color that, honestly, made Yumi's seem more straw-yellow. Her eyebrows seem a bit thinner than a normal girl's. Her body, from the close-up view that I got, was filled out in the 'DxD'-style, though her slightly more mature facial features make her seem more like an adult woman who possesses an adult body than females like Rias and Akeno who look like they're high-school girls with breast implants.

I figured that she'd be asleep for a little while, so I decided to go leave the cave to do something that I **need** to do...

Going about 150 feet outside of the cave, I walked about 40 paces to the right to 'strategically' position myself. Once I felt confident in my choice of location, I brought out my sword and put it in my scabbard.

I did that mainly so that when the woman wakes up, she won't have to see me conjuring a sword out of thin air.

Anyways, standing off to the side of the halfway point between the mouth of the cave and the treeline of the wintry forest, I looked back towards the cave and brought up my 'Friends List'.

As the pink screen popped up in front of me, I glanced around to make sure that no Wolves were around...

* * *

 **-Friends List-**

 **+Cameron Phillips [One's Guild]  
** **+Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul) [Norse Faction]  
** **+Göndul [Norse Faction]**

 **+Take Picture  
** **+Take Video**

 **+View Pictures  
** **+View Videos**

* * *

I clicked on Cameron's name...

* * *

 **-Cameron Phillips [One's Guild]-**

 **+Call  
** **+Send Message  
** **+Send Picture  
** **+Send Video  
** **+Send Gift  
** +Send [Duel Request] (Restricted due to being in a 'Boss ID')  
 **+Un-Friend**

* * *

Choosing the 'Send Message' option, I typed on the keyboard that popped up at the bottom of the screen.

* * *

 **Douglas:** Hey, man. I'm gonna spend a while in here. Came across another chick, and now she's unconscious. I'll message you when I'm coming out, because she's a powerhouse. I might need some back-up. Also, does it matter if I use the 'menu' in front of her?

 **+Send Message  
** **+Cancel**

* * *

Sending the message, I waited for nearly three whole seconds before I got a reply

* * *

 **Cameron:** Don't worry about the menu, man. In the real world, time is paused. In an ID, she'll get a subliminal message to look away from you. If she doesn't, then she just won't see the screen. You should try to use mental commands only, though. Less 'bug-swatting' explanations.

 **Cameron:** In that case, I'll go do shit. Go fuck shit up, then fuck her shit up ;-)

 **Douglas:** Dude! I ain't fuckin anyone!

 **Cameron:** Not with that attitude :-(

 **Douglas:** Whatever man. Thanks for the help. Ttyl.

 **Cameron:** Remember, two strokes then grind XD

* * *

Shutting the screen down whilst feeling annoyed over my friend heaving his fresh bullshit at me, I sighed before pulling up my 'Status Screen' and bringing out my sword to begin...

...training.

Yeah...that's what I'll call what I'm about to do.

Holding out my left hand, I positioned my sword above it and...

*Schlick*

"Fffffffmmmmmnnnggggghhhh!" I groaned as quietly as I could from the pain that shot through my arm from where I stabbed my sword through it. Looking at my HP, I saw how much it went down...

* * *

 **-HP:** 3,941/4,160 (+864.6 HP/minute) **-**

* * *

Grinding my teeth, I sighed as I rationalized what I just did to myself inside of my mind.

I've been neglecting on training my [Health Regenerator] and [Magic Regenerator] abilities. Those two are in the same league of usefulness as [Observe] and [ID: Create], but I've still negelected them.

Though, the reason for that is because it would've taken way too long to naturally recover my MP when grinding against the Wolves when I had my 'EXP Gain Buff' active. It was a better plan to use potions instead of my natural regeneration, since my levels also gave me a big boost to my 'regen rates'.

But, now that I have some down time, I'm gonna train those abilities. I'll also need to train [Air Jump] some.

Though, I'll also need to keep an eye on the cave. Both to make sure that no Wolves try to sneak past me and get to the girl, and also so that the girl doesn't wake up and see me maiming myself or jumping in mid-air...

That would make things...difficult. At least for the moment.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - Kuoh Academy - Student Council Office**

 **August 25, 2014 - 12:51 AM - 3 Hours 33 Minutes Later...**

"Lady Sona...please, take some time to rest. You've been investigating for nearly three days now."

The one who asked that was a teenage female that stood at 5'5" with long black hair that reached her knees and had split bangs. Her hetero-chromatic eyes, the left being violet and the right being brown, stared in concern at her [King] and Mistress from behind her blue-rimmed glasses. Whilst her body, that was clothed in the Kuoh Academy female summer uniform, was quite developed for her age, she still wasn't in the same league as Akeno or Rias, not that she particularly cared about such petty things.

What she **did** care about, though, was that Sona was sitting at her desk and holding her head in her hands and had been holding that same posture for hours.

With her eyes surrounded by red puffy skin and dark bags, Sona continued to drown herself in her thoughts without paying any heed to her [Queen]'s worries.

What was she missing? Where was a clue? How could she find even a trace of her older sister's whereabouts?

...will she get a chance to see her again?

Sona knew that Serafall was embarrassing to be related to. By Satan's name, she **knew**.

But, Serafall was her sister above all else. Despite being ashamed of her, Sona felt nothing but love and admiration for her sister deep down.

She's just a little worried that she'll never get the chance to show it again.

"Lady Sona!"

Sona stayed quiet.

"Lady Sona!"

Sona twitched slightly.

"LADY SONA!" she heard someone scream at her from in front of her desk.

"What, Tsubaki!?" Sona shouted, releasing her head from her hands as she glared coldly at her [Queen].

Enduring underneath her Mistress's glare, Tsubaki attempted to reach Sona again.

"Lady Sona, I know you're worried about Lady Serafall's well-being and whereabouts. The investigation has been tiring, on **everyone**. But, do you really think your older sister would want you to slowly kill yourself by straining your mind like you are? No, Lady Serafall would want you to go 'take a nappie', probably with her tagging along." Tsubaki persuaded, hoping that her [King] will listen to her.

Continuing to glare at her servant, Sona gritted her teeth.

"I just don't understand this, Tsubaki...why would my sister leave of her own volition, and not let anyone know? If she'd been kidnapped, we'd have heard about it by now. Either for ransom or sending a political message or **something**!? But, there hasn't been a single peep from anyone or anywhere concerning her. I have to do this, Tsubaki. She's my sister!" Sona replied, looking down at her desk and clenching her hands together tightly on top of it.

She felt so useless, and at a time when her **sister** might need her help...

...she hated this...

...this...gut-wrenching feeling like something has gone horribly wrong...and she can't do a **damn thing about it**!

What should she do...?

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Flinching at the sharp sound that entered the darkened room, both girls' eyes shot over to the, now open, door to the office where a casually-clothed brown-haired teenage male was standing with a wide-spread grin on his face whilst staring at the two females in front of him without a trace of fear in his stance as he clapped.

After two more seconds of clapping, he stopped and opened his mouth to speak to the two girls...

However, as he spoke, the pair of normal brown eyes he was looking at them with...

"Well, well, well...sounds like you ladies could use some assistance, huh~?" the young male spoke in a jovial tone.

...morphed into a pair of glowing red eyes with black four-point pinwheel-shaped patterns on them...

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains]**

 **4:13 AM - 3 Hours 20 Minutes Later...**

Sighing as I landed on the ground, I brought up my 'Skills/Magic Screen' to look at how far the abilities I have been training have progressed, mostly because I've been ignoring all of the notifications.

It gets really annoying when they pop up in mid-air...

* * *

 **+[Health Regenerator] – LVL: 276 – EXP: 9.5/100% - Passive**

 **+[Magic Regenerator] – LVL: 306 – EXP: 37.3/100% - Passive**

 **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 21/100 – EXP: 54/100% - Active**

 **+[Norse Magic: Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] (DXD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 100 MP per chain

* * *

...

Not as good as I would've hoped, but it'll do. Turns out [Air Jump] only gains EXP when you put genuine effort into each jump and you use the 'max' number of jumps you're allowed.

That means you can't just hop up a bit and then do another little hop in mid-air.

It also kind of helped out, since I was able to get used to using [Air Jump] in a horizontal fashion as well.

...

Looking over to the mouth of the cave, I saw a pack of Beta Wolves attempting to sneak inside. They were still about twenty feet or so from the entrance, so...

Running towards them, I reached their position within seconds and quickly took out the five Wolves without even the slightest bit of trouble.

"That's 34 packs so far. Sheesh, this has all the set-up for an 'escort mission'." I sighed as I decided to take a small break from my training and check on the girl.

Walking over to the entrance to the cave, I looked inside to find the girl still resting. I simply waltzed on over to the opposite side of the fire from her and sat down.

Looking at the flames burning on the second set of logs that I had purchased, I sighed as I just let my mind wander wherever it wanted.

...

I wonder how Rossweisse is doing? The last time we talked was back when I first went through the 'Wolf ID'. It was actually quite nice, if only slightly underwhelming since I was fighting at the time...

...maybe I should call her again?

...

I'll do that after I leave this dungeon. Less risk of her cutting the conversation short to spare me the 'trouble' of trying to talk with her and fight at the same time.

"DEMI!"

Hearing the scream of a terrified woman, I responded quite admirably...

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Shooting up from my sitting position, I drew my sword and held it high in the air whilst screaming like a banshee in the pale 'blood moon' light.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The female responded to my incoherent screaming with her own squeal of terror when she saw some random dude standing over her with a sword raised above his head, ready to strike and screaming like a madman.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

...

Continuing to scream our lungs out at each other for around fifteen seconds total, we finally broke off from our perfect 'first impression' to catch our breath and rest our vocal cords.

"Hah...hah..." the girl sitting up on the ground on the other side of the fire breathed deeply, a dainty hand raised to her throat. Massaging it lightly, she seemed to be calming down quite a bit.

Sheathing my sword whilst taking a few steps back, I just kept my gaze focused on her as I calmed down myself.

After a few moments of this, the older girl started looking around the cave, seemingly realizing that she woke up abruptly in an unfamiliar place and was thus trying to glean as many details as she could. As she continued looking around, the beauty's sapphire-blue gems eventually landed and settled on me. With her sizeable chest slightly heaving from her moderately heavier breathing, she seemed to be trying to get herself under control whilst continuing to stare at me.

...

"Uh...hi there." I spoke slightly awkwardly whilst waving my right hand in a hesitant salute.

Hey, she screamed some random name out and **slightly** startled me! That's not exactly what I would call 'breaking the ice'...

"Who...where...?" she seemed to try to ask. I just held both of my hands up in a placating gesture.

"Just calm down, miss. Catch your breath." I spoke, switching to a calming tone to try and...well, calm her down.

It seems that wouldn't be happening quite yet, if her having a face like she realized that her parents just died is any indication.

"Demi? Demi! I have to find her!" she stammered, quickly moving to stand up. However, she wobbled on her feet slightly, which I took as a sign that she wasn't ready to move around like that.

And I was right, considering she started to tip over.

"Ngh!" she managed to gasp as she lost her balance.

Quickly reacting, I swerved around the fire and got to her just before she **actually** started to fall. Wrapping an arm under her waist, I kept her from kissing the ground in a manner consistent with 'forceful rape'.

Ground Rape Culture, and all that jazz...

"Easy there, miss." I chided goodnaturedly as I pulled her back into a standing position, making sure to keep a hold of her as she regained her bearings.

Taking a moment to do just that, it seemed like she was going to be okay without my help anymore, so I let go.

Looking to me, she dipped her head in an embarrassed fashion.

"Um...thank you." she spoke, her melodious voice considerably more calm than it was ten seconds ago.

Now that she wasn't screaming or panicking, I could also tell that she had a hint of an Italian accent. It was really just a small inflection, but it definitely solidified that she was European.

Not that I didn't already know that, of course~!

"No problem, and sorry about before. You kinda startled me. How are you feeling?" I asked, smiling slightly at her.

"I'm fine...wait, I'm fine?" she seemed a little confused as she looked over her body, especially her right ankle.

I just chuckled.

"That's good. You were pretty...'chewed up' when I found you. I healed you up and brought you here. That ankle wound of yours was pretty bad. Is it hurting at all?" I asked, raising my hand up and activating my [Hands of Healing] ability to cast the remedial green glow over them to indicate to her that I'm not a normal person.

It might seem pretty stupid, but I'd imagine that...well, her being who she is, she's at least **familiar** with the idea of 'healing magic'.

Seeing my hand glow in a warm green light, she just stared at me in surprise.

Looking back down to her ankle, she tested her weight on it a few times before sighing in relief.

"No...I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all." she replied, smiling at me in return.

I just nodded and dismissed my 'Magic'.

Turning around and walking back to the other side of the fire, I sat back down. Looking up at the woman, I found that she had chosen to look towards the entrance to the cave with...

...quite possibly one of the most worried expressions I've ever seen on someone's face.

I'm not sure exactly what's going on with this chick, but I can easily tell that she'll probably want to leave the cave for some reason or another.

Swiveling her head towards me, the blonde just smiled again and bowed her head deep.

"Thank you very much for the help you've given me...um..." she spoke, obviously prompting for me to give her my name.

"Douglas." I responded.

"Douglas. I'm terribly sorry for this, but there's a place that I **really** need to go to. I have to go help a friend of mine who has...gotten into a rather precarious situation. I promise I'll repay you for your help one day." she stated, her voice tinged with both gratitude and anxiousness. It was clear that she was less focused on actually speaking with me than she was on whoever her 'friend' is.

Turning and starting to walk towards the entrance to the cave, she didn't even wait for my reply as she raised her right hand to the side of her cranium like she had a headache...

Wow, she's totally blowing me off right now~!

If I just let her go off without a word, she'll most likely end up getting killed in her little 'quest'...

...which would really be a waste, considering who she is.

"Look, I don't want to be a 'stick in the mud' here, but do you even remember what was happening when you fell unconscious?" I asked her, trying to keep her from being as stupid as I was almost two weeks ago.

Seeing that what I said caused her to stop in her tracks, I reclined back whilst supporting my upper body with my hands against the ground. Stretching my legs out, I got all comfy and shit.

"I remember that those...'Wolves' were chasing me. I managed to kill maybe a dozen of them, but they kept coming after me. Why bring that up?" she responded, crossing her arms underneath her chest.

I just sighed.

"So, you had trouble against that many, yet are willing to go to a place that possibly has **hundreds** of them?" I asked incredulously.

She just turned her head towards me, showing an expression caught between understanding and stubbornness.

"...I know that. But, I can't just leave her. I can feel...never mind. The point is, I don't exactly have any other options." she stated, though she seemed hesitant to speak more on the subject.

"I can understand wanting to help your friends out. Believe me, I do. However, I went out of my way to save you, and protected you for over six hours." I whined slightly.

She just quirked an eyebrow at me.

"I told you, I'll repay you when I get the chance. If you live in the area, I'll find you after I've helped my friend." she replied. I just rolled my eyes at her.

"You're missing the point. I'm coming with you." I spelled it out for her.

...

You know, I took quite a bit of delight in seeing her shocked expression.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. I'll come with you to save your friend." I repeated, pushing myself back into a standing position.

Kinda makes me consider why I even bothered sitting down again in the first place...

She just dipped her head slightly as she seemed to mull my 'offer' over.

"...there's no reason for you to do tha-Look, every second we waste with the whole 'not having to do this' spiel is a second that your friend is in a pickle." I cut her off, walking over to the entrance of the cave.

Looking over to meet her eyes, I saw a small bit of distrust, but also some gratefulness.

I pointed backwards to the pile of clothes on the floor of the cave with my right hand.

"Get dressed." I instructed in a stern manner.

"Huh?" she hummed in confusion, before looking down at her current state of dress that consisted of a revealing, black, tattered, knee-length dress and the **Bekesha Coat (White) (Basic)** that I had wrapped her up in before doing my training being open in the front.

If you didn't understand that, then the simple version is that her 'goods' are almost completely on open display...

"Why didn't you say something sooner!?" screamed the embarrassed woman as she wrapped the coat around herself.

...

Walking out of the cave to give her some privacy, I ended up waiting a grand total of three minutes. During that time, a golden screen popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** - **Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** -Escort Lavinia Reni Safely  
-Defeat '?'

 **(Optional)  
** _-Compliment Lavinia Reni (0/5)  
_ _-'?''_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Lavinia Reni  
 _-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

Dismissing the screen after looking through it, I turned my head to the side when I heard footsteps approaching to see Lavinia walk out of the cave, wearing approximately the same outfit as I was...

...other than she had seemingly torn up her dress to make a ribbon to tie her hip-length strands of light-gold hair in a ponytail. However, her bangs were still free to frame her face. She also had her coat closed at the front, probably embarrassed that she had been so exposed to a complete stranger.

...man, she's a looker.

"Well~?" she asked, her voice decidedly more playful than it was a few minutes ago. I just looked away.

"9/10." I commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

Chancing a glance at her, I saw her cheeks looking a bit pink whilst a content smile rested on her lips.

"How do I get a 10/10~?" she replied. I decided to finally knock a bird out of the sky with my response.

"A name."

...

"O-Oh, right. Sorry, Douglas." she just chuckled, probably expecting me to say something corny like 'lose the clothes' or something like that.

Like a woman would get naked in front of me...

Holding out her right hand for a hand-shake, she smiled at me.

"My name is Lavinia." she greeted.

Reaching my hand out as well, I grasped her hand firmly in mine and looked up into her eyes.

"A pleasure." I replied.

And, with that, we began our journey towards the 'Wolves Den'!

* * *

 **4:27 AM – 4 Minutes Later...**

"So...Douglas...what brings you to this place anyway?" Lavinia asked me as we were jogging to our destination.

Looking over at her, and trying to ignore certain 'things' being affected by the laws of physics, I just grunted.

"Effectively? Work. I've got a job to do." I replied, giving a very general answer to avoid talking about [Quests] and [Quest Rewards] and such.

That makes things a little awkward...

"Oh? Then, if you are busy, why would you bother going with me? Wouldn't it be faster to go finish your job on your own?" Lavinia asked, playing the Devil's Advocate.

I just sighed whilst jogging, which would probably seem like a very weird thing to do (try it, I dare you).

"Yes, it would. However, you don't seem like a bad person, and my parents didn't raise me to be a jerk. Not to mention that I'm fairly certain that helping your friend will piss off the Wolves, which is a nice little treat." I responded. As I looked through the trees to try and spot any Wolves coming at us, I mentally smacked myself in the head over what I was effectively doing with Lavinia.

I was taking advantage of the fact that she's desperate and anxious over helping her friend in order to be seen as a good person. All this will do is just rack up 'brownie points' with her.

After all, she'd potentially be a powerful ally. It would be even stupider if I just left her alone, especially if she ever found out about it. That would most likely put me on her 'shit list'.

And that would be inconvenient should our paths ever cross after we leave this dungeon.

Shaking my head of such thoughts, since they were pretty much useless at the moment, I doubled down on my focus of keeping an eye on our surroundings in case any more Wolves pop up...

Turns out, that this **is** an 'escort mission'. Lavinia and I have already been attacked **FIVE TIMES** since we started out.

I'm almost considering turning to my 'back-up plan', which is most certainly an 'emergency plan' that shouldn't even be discussed unless the situation **absolutely** calls for it.

I only hope that Lavinia will forgive me if I end up having to rely on it...

"Well, I really appreciate the assistance. Though, I am curious...are you a Magician, by any chance?" Lavinia changed the topic slightly, though this is still a bit of a slippery slope for me.

"An Independent one, yes." I vaguely stated.

Lavinia just seemed a little confused for a moment before she gave a single good laugh.

"Ha~! You **do** know that the phrase 'Independent Magician' is just another way of saying 'unemployed', right~?" she teased playfully.

Man, this girl is **nothing** like Rossweisse. Not only is she just letting a stranger assist her on a personal quest, but she's also been playful ever since we left the cave.

I wonder how the hell Vali ends up being scared shit-less at the mention of her name, though...

I mean, I know that she's crazy strong with her **[Sacred Gear]** and all that, but she's still a **human**.

Questions for later...

"Maybe, but it works for me." I responded, glancing behind us to see if any Wolves were coming from that direction.

Nothing.

Did...did I kill most of the Wolves outside of the 'Den' when I was training and watching over Lavinia?

Or...

...were they biding their time?

...

"I guess. So..." Lavinia replied, probably trying to find another topic to talk about.

For about a whole minute, she jogged whilst racking her brain for anything to ask.

Turning to her, I turned the conversation to something relevant to our situation.

"So what happened with this 'friend' of yours, anyways?" I prompted.

"Mmm...well...we just kinda 'popped' up here and then...mmm...I can't remember a whole lot of what happened here, to be honest. I remember that I was in Germany, going about my day, but then...'poof'!" she tried to answer, though it seemed like she was hesitating about something.

Mulling over that information to myself, whilst keeping an eye on our surroundings, I felt like this all is too much of a coincidence.

First Rossweisse, and now Lavinia...

...two of the females that I liked in the series.

Not only that, but one was completely unconscious inside of the 'Boss ID', and the other **supposedly** can't remember much of what happened prior to our meeting in the 'Boss ID'...

...could the [Game] be responsible for this?

I thought about this stuff back when I rescued Rossweisse as well, but this just cements my doubts that what's happening right now is **not normal** in terms of the kinds of people needing rescuing from things directly related to the [Game]...

Not to mention that the [Quest Details] speak about me uncovering part of some 'huge secret' that can 'change the fate of the universe'.

A cliche line, if there ever was one.

However, it's cliche for a reason.

...

Hearing the sounds of a few Wolves coming at us from behind, I forced my thoughts down and turned my head.

Seeing three of the white Alpha Wolves making their way towards us, I just waved my hand at Lavinia to signal her to keep running.

Seeing that the Wolves were about thirty feet away from us, I placed my hand on my sword before using [Control Stick Physics] to stop my momentum entirely. Reversing myself and turning around at the same time, I sprung towards them.

This is where I learned another thing about [Gamers].

I was a little disgruntled when I saw this in the 'Wolf ID' when I first entered it, but I'm used to it now.

That is, the fact that the difference between our AGI is wide enough that I saw the Wolves running speed tone down a step or two to make it seem like they were running in 'slow-mo' just a bit.

It happens whenever I'm trying to move fast or trying to look at something moving fast. The reason why I think it became prominent now is because of my training. It made a fair bit of sense, considering that I've been pushing myself as hard as I could to keep up with Cameron for a while now. Considering he was moving a lot faster than these guys, I **should** be able to see them moving easily.

Drawing my sword and slashing horizontally at two of the Alpha Wolves, I killed them instantly before planting my feet onto the ground and reversing my momentum again to shoot towards the Wolf that continued running forward towards Lavinia.

Passing by the Wolf on its left side, I flicked my sword upward and decapitated the beast with ease.

Sheathing my sword after I was done taking care of the 'mutts', I increased my pace until I caught up with Lavinia before slowing down into a light jog again.

"You know, after being hunted down by those 'mutts' for the past few days, I'm a little depressed that a guy whose smaller than I am has been slaughtering them with hardly any noticeable difficulty." Lavinia pouted slightly as she continued jogging, her sapphire-blue eyes scrunched up while looking at me.

"Meh." I shrugged her off, focusing on watching out for more Wolves.

"Mmmnnngh~..." she made an annoyed sound, probably from me not acknowledging her feelings.

...

* * *

 **4:44 AM - 15 Minutes Later...**

After going through the bottom-half of the forest on our way to the 'Wolves Den', fighting off 12 more packs of assorted Wolves while escorting Lavinia, we finally came up to the, what I used to think was, a 500+ feet tall cliff.

From this angle, I'd guess it's upwards of 700+ feet tall.

I really need to learn some tricks or something to help judge things like this more accurately. But, in my defense, an extra 200 feet or so of difference doesn't really make a hell of a lot of difference in the long run.

If a normal person jumped, they'd still die when they hit the ground.

"If we turn right, there's a cave system that goes through a mountain that will take us up." Lavinia informed me, already moving towards where she probably remembers a 'cave system'.

...

...I have an idea.

Moving up till I was five feet away from the cliff face, I stuck out my left hand and activated my [Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] ability.

As the glowing blue chain shot out of the blue magic circle that appeared in front of my hand, I watched as the other end of the [Chain] attached to the wall.

Pulling on the [Chain] as hard as I could, I smiled.

The [Chain] held.

"Hey, lemme run somethin' by ya..." I spoke out to Lavinia, causing her to turn around...

* * *

 **4:46 AM – 2 Minutes Later...**

"U-Um...Douglas, are you...sure about this?" Lavinia asked. Her former pale face has gained a lot of color back, but that might just be a temporary effect due to either her position, or the temperature getting to her.

Using my [Chain] ability as an anchor, I was basically walking up the side of the cliff with Lavinia's voluptuous body laying on top of mine, her face mere inches to the right of my own as she turned her head slightly to address me.

Despite only having gone up around 100 feet or so, I'd say that we're making great time!

"Why? Are you not?" I asked as I braced myself before detaching the [Chain] I was currently holding onto and allowing it to vanish before summoning another [Chain] further up. Grabbing onto it, I started walking again.

Thinking about it, this might actually be scary for Lavinia. She's basically having to trust me to do a ridiculous stunt whilst she's riding me.

...shit.

I can't even think those words without my focus being drawn to the body pressing against my own.

That's probably what I'm most afraid of. Lavinia holding this against me for me basically having the chance to 'enjoy' this closeness to her incredible body without her expressed consent, even if I'm not actually doing so...

...okay, I'mma think of something else right about **NOW!**

"W-Well...I-I'm a l-little hesitant." she admitted, her voice shaking a bit.

...

...don't be a dick.

...don't even think with your dick.

...don't have a dick. After all, it's a mortal sin to be a straight white male.

"Well, I admit that this might not be one of the most comfortable ways to get up there. But, I'd rather not invite the risk of being in those caves and the Wolves deciding that it would be a good time to gang up on us. I can promise you, that this [Chain] won't break from something as simple as this. And, if anything happens, I'll at least make sure that you'll be safe." I attempted to reassure her as I repeated my process of creating a new anchor to continue walking up the side of the cliff.

Lavinia just took a deep breath.

"O-Okay...i-if you're this confident...then I guess. N-Now that I think about it, this is the f-first time I've really g-gotten a good look at you..." she responded, choosing to focus on my face instead of the ground that was steadily getting further and further away.

"Oh, my ugly mug, huh?" I replied jokingly. She just frowned slightly.

I'm a little glad that she's being very co-operative with me, but that feeling is a little over-shadowed by the fact that her mood seems to have soured slightly.

"It's not ugly at all. It's a little boyish...and cute. You look almost like you could be..." she spoke, though she obviously seemed to get a little embarrased around the end of her second sentence.

I got a little curious, and I also assumed that this would be a good way to keep her mind occupied while I climbed.

"Like I could be **what**?" I asked.

...

"...my little brother." she finished, her cheeks glowing with color.

Planting my feet onto the cliff-side, so as to not accidentally trip, I just stared at her with wide eyes.

Looking at her face, eyes and hair, I could definitely understand what she was talking about.

However, my attention was drawn somewhere else...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Doug, I'm gonna have to be at the welfare office by 3 PM. And *** needs more 'pull-ups'."_

 _"Doug, you need to get ready. I have to go to Social Services in half an hour, then we need to go grocery shopping. Kelly also needs more diapers for her baby, so can I borrow twenty bucks?"_

 _"Doug, I'm gonna hang out with Kelly. Can you watch *** for me?"_

 _"Doug, I need fifty-five bucks to cover rent for this month."_

 _"Doug, where are you? I have to go to the store."_

 _"Doug, I need to go to work. You need to watch ***."_

 _"Doug, I'm working three hours overtime, so you need to wait in the car for me."_

* * *

...

"Douglas, are you okay? You seem... **tense**." Lavinia asked with a slight tinge of worry in her voice.

Shaking my head slightly, I just looked at her.

Blonde hair instead of brown. Blue eyes instead of brown. Not covered in zits and craters. Not excessively 'pudgy'.

She's **not** my sister...

"Little brother...huh? You have a 'thing' for that~?" I asked in turn, my voice slightly playful.

Cue the blush.

"Wha-!? N-No!" she responded, smacking her fist on my chest to enunciate her point.

Barely even feeling the 'lethal blow', I went back to climbing whilst mulling over thoughts concerning the subject at hand.

"Hmm...I wouldn't exactly mind. After all, you're quite pretty and fairly nice. If you can prove that you're strong enough to be worthy of being called my 'big sister', then I'll shower you with praise and affection for as long as you want." I remarked in a overly-serious tone, making sure to sound genuinely pensive on this subject.

Lavinia just puffed her cheeks out.

"You're rather mean." she replied, before turning her face away from me. Chuckling slightly, I just shrugged whilst climbing.

"Meh."

"...mmm~..." she mock-pouted again.

* * *

 **4:59 AM - 12 Minutes Later...**

Reaching the edge of the cliff, I acted as a doormat for Lavinia to peek over the edge to see if the coast was clear for us to climb up.

"Clear." Lavinia said, already climbing up.

Once I was sure she had gotten up safely, I climbed the last few feet before grasping the ledge with one of my hands. Easily, I hoisted myself up and over the edge.

Standing up straight after I had safely climbed over, I saw that we were now standing in a semi-circular clearing. There was even more of the wintry forested area past the tree-line about a hundred feet away from us, which I watched closely.

This place seems like it would make a decent, yet cliche, battleground.

"Well...thankfully, we managed to save quite a bit of time considering we didn't have to navigate any cave systems. However, I think it would be best to keep moving." I stated, walking over to where Lavinia was kneeling on the ground.

Reaching down, I grabbed her underneath her arm and hauled her to her feet. She just looked at me with a shocked expression.

"You...don't want to **rest**?" she asked disbelievingly.

Shit fuck!

Fuck shit!

Robert Downey Jr.'s fashion budget!

"...does the girl who proclaimed her desire to be seen as a 'big sister' **need** a 'rest'?" I quickly attempted to turn the target of the question around, making sure to give her a clear indication that **she** was weird for 'needing a break'.

This was all I could think to do without simply lying to her.

Bringing up in that manner seemed to have another consequence, though...

"I-I'm not e-exactly...I wasn't **serious** about that~! I just...I'm a little 'under the weather' at the moment." she replied, seemingly a little embarrassed as she narrowed her eyes at me. Standing over me and crossing her arms underneath her chest, she proceeded to try to give me the 'stern older woman glare'.

...

"Alright, we'll take a small break." I acted like I was indulging her, un-strapping my sheathe from my waist before sitting down. As Lavinia took a seat about five feet away from me, I slipped my hand into one of the pockets of my coat and pulled out a canteen filled with water and a generic energy bar bundled in an aluminum wrapper. Reaching over, I placed them next to Lavinia.

Looking at the articles with surprise, she seemed to be a bit hesitant to take the proffered food and drink. Sighing, I just waved my hand dismissively at her.

"Yes. After jogging through the forest, fending off monster after monster and climbing a mountain-side with you riding on top of me, the only logical move for me to make is to poison you." I sarcastically stated as I went ahead and started observing the tree-line.

Lavinia seemed to ponder to herself for a moment before reaching out and picking up the canteen. Untwisting the cap, she smelled the liquid inside before smiling and drinking a few gulps of water. She then picked up the energy bar and undid the wrapper. Also giving the bar a quick sniff, she just hummed before taking a bite.

"...thanks for the food and drink, Douglas. Do you want any?" she offered, giving me a curious look. I just waved my hand.

"Nah. I'll be fine."

...

Focusing on my observation, I saw that, to the right beyond some trees, there was one of the mountains about 500 feet away. There seemed to be a cave there, which I guess was connected to the cave system that Lavinia was alluding to before we started climbing the cliff-face.

"...so...you know Norse Magic?" Lavinia attempted to make small talk as she nibbled on her energy bar. I raised my right hand up, held it sideways and wiggled it in the universal gesture for 'sorta' as I continued scanning the area around us for any sign of Wolves.

"...and swordsmanship?" she pressed as she paused to take a drink of water. I maintained my gesture for an extended period of time to include answering that query as well.

"...and martial arts?"

"Okay, I don't know 'martial arts', I know how to fight with my fists. Important distinction." I replied, finally deeming that we were safe for a moment. Looking back over to Lavinia, I saw that she had already finished her energy bar and had set the canteen on the ground beside her. She was currently sliding the wrapper into one of her coat pockets like a good person would do. She then brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them...

"..."

Seeing that I was now looking at her, Lavinia just turned her head to the ground and closed her eyes.

She almost looked to be concentrating on something, though I have no idea what.

After a few moments, she finally opened her eyes again. Gritting her teeth slightly, she seemed angry.

"Those disgusting mutts...how **dare** they hurt her like that..." she muttered so quietly that I almost didn't hear her. Raising an eyebrow, I was a little curious as to how she was able to know what might be happening to her friend.

"Hey." I called out, getting her attention as she looked at me.

"Who exactly **is** this 'friend' of yours that we're going to be helping?" I asked, taking a short moment to glance around to see if there were any Wolves around us.

"Mmm...she's...she's very special to me. If you're wondering about what I just did...we have a way to communicate across distances. Those mutts are hurting her, so..." Lavinia hesitantly tried to answer. Sighing, I simply decided to let her answer go without further questioning, due to the fact that she didn't seem to **want** to tell me about this 'friend' of hers.

I have my own presumptions, but it honestly doesn't matter who this 'friend' really is. I need to help them in order to finish this [Quest], and that's good enough for me.

"So, Douglas...do you happen to have any kind of plan for when we do this?" Lavinia asked.

...

"...I'll handle all the enemies. As far as a 'plan' goes, you should just try to stick with me as much as possible. I have absolutely no idea what the inside of their 'den' is like, so it's a bit difficult to make any solid plans. Improvising shouldn't be too awful hard, though. They're not very tough, and they're none too smart." I replied, giving her a shrug of my shoulders to enunciate my point.

Lavinia just smiled.

"Hmm...well, that's probably for the best." she responded.

After that, we rested for a few more minutes with a bit of small talk being exchanged before I stood up and strapped my sheathe to my waist again. Lavinia also stood whilst grabbing the canteen. She tried handing it to me, but I just shook my head.

"Alright, Lavinia. Let's go ahead and save your friend."

"Mm~!"

* * *

 **5:30 AM - 20 Minutes Later...**

Coming out of the treeline of the forest, Lavinia and I found ourselves at the base of the mountain where the 'Wolves Den' is.

Surrounding the entirety of the mountain, was the same purple-pinkish mist that had surrounded the 'temple'.

"This mist...what do you think it is?" Lavinia asked, stopping beside me as we observed the mountain to try and find the entrance. She seemed to be eyeing the phenomenon in front of us warily.

As is the 'smart' thing to do.

Also another thing that I **fucked up** with in the first dungeon...

Quirking an eyebrow at her, I just shrugged.

"I don't know. I've only seen it once before, and it was harmless. I doubt it's anything to make a fuss over." I replied, walking forward whilst scanning the mountain up and down.

I couldn't see the entrance to the dungeon from here, but it's a little hard to accurately make out details from over 1,000 feet away, and through colored fog no less...

Stepping into the mist, I purposely took a few deep breaths before looking back to Lavinia.

"See? All good." I gave her a thumbs-up as I looked forward again.

Seemingly assured by my words, Lavinia walked forward and entered the mist.

Now having our surroundings be dyed in a purple-pink color, along with the snow still falling, we both made sure to keep our guards raised. Keeping a hand on my sword at all times, I also made sure to keep within ten feet of Lavinia.

Hearing the 'pitter patter' of paws coming toward us from the front, I stopped. Lavinia also halted just behind me.

I then saw four Alpha Wolves jump out of the mist...about 25 feet in front of us.

"Hngh! Huht! Hngh! HYAH!?"

Bet ya can't guess who I'm copying with my current sound effects as I hack n' slash the doggies like the pups they are.

After the four Wolves were disposed of, I glanced behind me to see the half-lidded eyes of Lavinia.

"What was **that**?" she asked in a deadpan voice. I just smirked.

"Class." I stated my 'be-all-end-all' response.

"Hm...is that what it was?" she prodded dubiously. I just stuck my tongue out at her.

"You'll understand someday..." I blatantly waved her off due to her being too young and naive to have an informed opinion concerning 'midget green fairy boys'.

Well, seeing her pouting at me again was well worth the trouble of losing those valuable seven seconds to have that conversation.

Continuing our trek up the mountain-side would've been a cinch, if we could go more than **five seconds** without getting attacked by pack after pack of Wolves.

Only Alpha Wolves, at that...

* * *

 **5:53 AM – 20 Minutes Later...**

Slamming my right heel down on the head of the last Alpha Wolf of the most recent pack of eight that attacked us, about ten feet before we reached a wide terrace, the poor creature's head met with the ground with a sickening 'crunch'.

As the beast faded away into black smoke, I glanced behind me to see Lavinia breathing slightly heavier from the entire trip that we've taken to get here.

"You doin' okay there, **big sister** ~?" I teasingly asked.

Knitting her eyebrows together, Lavinia just huffed and crossed her arms as she continued trying to get her breathing under control.

"I regret saying anything about that. I was just making a comparison. Jeez...you know, I was starting to have a good opinion of you for trying to help me with something this **dangerous** , but now I'm wondering just how hard it would be to do this myself..." she ranted, sounding like she was getting genuinely annoyed with me always bringing her little 'desire' to the forefront of our conversations.

"Siblings often annoy each other, but from here on out is where shit's most likely gonna get real. Go off on your own now, and you **will** die." I stated plainly, starting to trudge the last few steps up to the terrace.

A small moment of silence passed as she probably seemed to agree with me.

"Douglas...earlier, you mentioned that you had a 'job' to do in the area. What would that 'job' **be** , exactly?" Lavinia asked as we both got onto the terrace and continued walking whilst keeping an eye on our surroundings.

Mentally sighing, I just shrugged.

"Why do you wanna know?" I responded.

"Well...since you're helping me, I figured that I could at least help you with whatever you're doing when I'm...able." she spoke, a tinge of shyness in her tone.

Glancing at her, I saw her walking stiffly with her arms hugging her waist.

"You're pretty considerate, huh? I appreciate the sentiment, but there's really no need for you to worry about that. One way or the other, I'm gonna do what I came here to do. And, there's a good chance that completing my job lines up with getting you out of here safely. Besides, these Wolves aren't much of a problem." I replied, kinda brushing her off as I flexed my shoulder and back muscles.

Why would I do that?

Well, because I'm staring at a four foot tall Wolf with gilded fur that softly glowed with a golden aura and eyes as red as Rias Gremory's...blood.

Sitting on its haunches, the Wolf seemed content with its position.

As we both came within fifteen feet of it, the scenery took on a drastic change.

With a sudden burst of wind, the entire terrace was freed from the burden of the thin layer of snow. The mist also dissipated with the wind, as we found ourselves standing inside of a 100-foot wide circular stone ring with intricate markings and patterns engraved into it. However, I noticed a portion of the mountain being obscured by a sheet of pure-white mist.

God, am I gonna have to face a 'mid-boss' before even entering the actual dungeon?

Using [Observe] on the golden creature in front of me, I got my answer.

* * *

 **Name:** Great Wolf  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 6  
 **HP:** 2,500/2,500  
 **MP:** 400/400

 **STR:** 520  
 **END:** 440  
 **AGI:** 510  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 400  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

...

You know, even though I'm over-leveled as shit...this pup seems a little **too** weak compared to his Alpha brethren. I didn't fight any Great Wolves in the 'training ID', either. Considering how my fight against the Enhanced Warrior went in the last dungeon, I'm almost positive that this guy's gonna have some sort of 'gimmick'.

"Lavinia." I spoke, waving my hand at the older girl to stand back. She just nodded and retreated a few steps.

Getting into a stance with my sword, I watched as the Great Wolf bent its head back and let out an ominous howl.

Rising up on all four feet, the proud beast's eyes were beset by a glare so cold that it could freeze the flames of Hell in an instant.

The eyes of a tried and true predator.

The Great Wolf lunged through the air, its speed significantly greater than any of the Wolves I fought before. It didn't even seem like the beast was moving in 'slow motion'.

Finally, a worthy opponent~!

Swinging my sword upwards, I aimed to slash at the Great Wolf's stomach as the beast flew through the air.

However, a split-second before my sword managed to hit the beast, the creature turned into something resembling a transparent wisp of golden strings of light. My sword passed through the strange Wolf's new form with no resistance and, according to its 'Observed Screen', without damaging the beast in the slightest.

The mass of light wisps passed by me harmlessly, gliding to the ground behind me and reforming into the Great Wolf's original form with a small pulse of light.

"Instantaneous ethereal transformation, huh?" I pondered aloud, a small smirk adorning my face as I turned to watch the Great Wolf's movements.

The beast started circling around me in a clockwise manner, keeping a distance of ten feet in between us as it did so.

I heard my charge speak up from the sidelines.

"Amazing. For a beast to employ a technique like that...could it be a **spirit** or a **land god**? Douglas, are you sure you're capable of fighting an entity like this?" Lavinia calmly assessed, not even bothering to hide her opinion that I only knew how to fight against 'tangible opponents'.

Scoffing at her, I just readied myself again.

"Yeah, this'll be pretty easy to deal with, actually~." I smugly stated.

Why?

* * *

 **-MP:** 375/400 **-**

* * *

Using 25 MP in order to gain even a second of 'intangibility' is a steal, for sure, but this creature isn't a [Gamer]. That means that its ability to recuperate MP is pitifully lacking.

Leaping forward towards the Wolf, I swung my sword horizontally at it's chest. The beast jumped up and over my swing however, before landing and lunging at my leg.

Shifting my weight around, I swung my sword at it again. Once again, the Wolf changed direction and leapt towards my sword fearlessly before transforming into its 'ethereal form', my sword passing through it harmlessly.

I saw that it lost another 25 MP from using the ability again.

Landing on the ground again, the Wolf reverted back to it's 'normal form'.

...

"... **haaaagggh**..." I let out a deep sigh, turning to face the Wolf that was now prowling around me once more.

Surging forward at top speed, I covered the ten feet or so of distance between me and the Wolf.

The Wolf responded as it did before, by leaping straight at me. Swinging my sword to prompt it to use its ability, I repeated the same song and dance as this 'fight' has been since the beginning.

As my sword passed harmlessly through the graceful golden light, I just smirked.

Continuing forward for a mere moment, in order to stall for time, I used [Control Stick Physics] to immediately reverse my running momentum and shoot back towards the Great Wolf.

Chasing after the Wolf, I reached out with my left hand just before the wisps of light touched the ground. As the Wolf re-materialized, it had no time to react before my hand grabbed a hold of the back of its neck.

"HRAGH!" I grunted, putting as much force into my arm as possible...

*SLAM*

Slamming the head of the Wolf into the stone ground underneath it, I caused nearly 600 points of damage to it. Raising my right arm into the air beside me, I aimed at finishing this **farce** of a fight.

Swinging my right hand at the Wolf's mid-section, my blade cleaved through the beast like it was made of butter. Once I was done cutting it, I felt the fur in my grip slip through my fingers as it turned into black smoke.

The Great Wolf...was dead.

...

Shocker, huh?

As the vapor dissipated, I looked over to see Lavinia's curious expression.

"That was...efficient, if not slightly brutal. How did you manage to touch an ethereal opponent?" she asked, seemingly thinking that I used some special technique or power to grab a hold of the Wolf and hurt it.

Pfft~!

Like Cameron said, these guys can't form sentient thought or strategy. The Great Wolf may have had a pretty unique ability, but the way it was used gave away a rather...stupid weak-point.

"It only became ethereal when it was in the air. Whenever it landed, it immediately became tangible again. Not to mention it probably wouldn't be capable of maintaining that form for very long anyways. Plus, if its ethereal, it can't hurt me either. That would probably cause it to only use that form as a defensive measure." I explained, straightening myself and sheathing my sword.

Besides, even if I was wrong, I simply would've forced the Wolf to use its ability over and over again until it was all tuckered out before slaughtering it like a centipede.

I hate the little buggers. Ants, bees, spiders and worms are fine...but centipedes and millipedes are...blrblrblrblr.

Shivering slightly where I stood, I turned to face the side of the mountain.

Now that the 'mini-boss' was dead, I saw that the pure-white sheet of mist surrounding the portion of the mountain-side faded away, revealing a 15 foot wide entrance to a darkened cave.

"Hm...well, good work with defeating that Wolf. Now...shall we?" Lavinia spoke, walking past me with a smile on her face.

"I guess my 'future older sister' is trying to show me her 'cool side' by being all brave, huh~?" I teased as I started walking forward to be by her side.

Raising her left hand up, she just turned her head and smiled at me as her eyebrows twitched.

"Your 'future older sister' is starting to feel like she'll need to teach her 'future younger brother' that some jokes get old after a while~..." she spoke, obviously attempting to sound ominous...

...

And...doing a pretty damn good job at it, too.

Unfortunately for her, it was **MAN** who created the art of 'fucking with people'. She's at a severe disadvantage and I'm not gonna go easy on her just because she's a **woman**.

"You wouldn't hit your 'little brother', would you~? I'm just trying to show my 'beautiful, loving, cute and funny older sister' the affection she so **badly** desires~!" I spoke, using a disgustingly sweet tone as I clasped my hands together and gave her a sick and demented version of the 'puppy dog eyes'.

I swear I could almost see a vein or two pop out from underneath the skin of her forehead.

"..." she remained quiet as she raised her hand higher in a threatening manner.

"Do it, and I'll tell Mommy and Daddy~!" I helpfully 'reminded' her.

Lavinia just smiled wide before lowering her hand calmly. She then turned and focused on walking into the cave, seemingly dropping the subject.

I would've felt a lot better if I didn't see a few specks of blood dripping from her clenched fists.

However, as it is, I'll just be amused that I keep running into girls that are so easy to annoy~!

* * *

 **6:25 AM – 25 Minutes Later...**

"We're lost." Lavinia groaned as she stood behind me.

"I'd beg to disagree. Being lost implies that we have a destination. I told you I have no idea what the inside is like. We can just keep walking like this and **eventually** end up somewhere meaningful, I assure you. And, if you're gonna suggest that we ask for directions, I can see three clear reasons right in front of me why we shouldn-You sir! You sit the hell down! I ain't havin' none of that!" I replied calmly, before having to cut myself off to grab a lunging Alpha Wolf by its throat before throwing it harshly against the wall to the right of me. The Wolf poofed into black smoke on impact, leaving only two more Alpha Wolves in front of us.

"And it's **not** like I don't have an idea of where to go, you know? Just a shot in the dark here, but if we were carried so far up the mountain-side in order to get to the entrance to their Den, then it stands to reason that 'down' is a fairly safe bet on where we should focus on going." I reasoned, slashing twice through the necks of the Alpha Wolves as they leapt towards Lavinia.

The pattern for the Wolves is simple, after all. Attack when they see weakness. Lavinia doesn't have the ability to fight back at the moment, so she's gonna be their prime target.

That's another benefit of me telling her to stay close to me when she asked about a strategy. The Wolves are gonna just keep focusing on her and attacking like idiots whilst I just leisurely butcher them as they try to get to Lavinia.

And, before you even say anything, **NO**! I'm **not** using her as bait!

Absolutely not!

She is in **no way** the most convenient 'charge' I've ever had in an 'escort mission' before! And I absolutely do **not** encourage anyone to think that I might have purchased a few pounds of raw steak to strap onto her body during an emergency, just in case I need a decoy!

"Douglas...why are you laughing like that?" the useful idiot asked, sounding none too disturbed at the fact that I had let out a few breathy laughs. Collecting myself and stopping with the creepiness, I just smiled at her.

"Nothing, my 'super helpful and hopefully athletic older sister'~!" I responded, using my disgustingly sweet tone again in order to get her annoyed enough to drop the subject.

Not that there's a subject to begin with, of course.

"..."

"..."

"W-Well, okay then, I guess? Anyways, it looks like we have a 'fork in the road'." she replied uneasily, probably off-put enough to not be annoyed at my teasing. Instead, she seemed to choose to simply move on and forget about this particular subject.

Ah! With all this fighting, I forgot to put seasoning on th...

...stop looking at me like that.

Getting back to reality, I looked ahead and saw that Lavinia had a point. The 'fake' lighting of the cave was toned down from what it was like outside, which gave the appearance of the cave being 'dark'. It was still really easy to see, and so I was able to make out that the cave branched into two separate paths.

The one on the right going 'up', and the one on the left going 'down'.

However, the path to the left was covered completely in a light-blue colored mist.

"Well, guess we know which way we're going." I remarked, already heading towards the path on the right. Lavinia just followed me with a hum of agreement, though I could see that she seemed a little apprehensive about not taking the path that would most likely lead to her friend.

...

Meh, we'll get there soon enough~.

* * *

 **7:13 AM – 47 Minutes Later...**

Continuing to navigate our way through multiple different sets of tunnels up the sloped path whilst fending off a rather stupidly large amount of Alpha Wolves, we eventually ended up inside of a rather spacious cavern.

It was at least 250 feet in diameter with the roof being at least 50 or 60 feet high. The cavern also possessed a seemingly perfect cylindrical shape with a distinct lack of stalagmites and their much scarier cousins along most of the floor or ceiling. The only parts of the cavern that seemed to possess those features seemed to be around the circumference of the room. At seemingly random points on the wall, there were a few spots that opened up to the outside world, allowing rays of light to stream in and create a much more dramatic appearance for the area. There also seemed to be a rather convenient pile of rubble surrounded by blue mist on the opposite side of the cavern from us.

And, as one could probably suspect, on the floor of the center of the cavern was another 200 foot wide stone circle with ritualistic engravings carved throughout it. The feature that differentiated it from the floors of the cavern is that its made of a brighter-colored stone.

"Hey, Lavinia." I spoke up to the older girl beside me. She looked at me with a curious expression.

"Yes, Douglas?"

"Does this cavern look...strange, to you? You know, like it's not **natural**?" I asked, noting that this **room** looked nothing like a cavern should.

The floor's too level. The shape is too perfect. And the lack of features dotting the area makes it seem like it was **cleared out** , for some reason.

Back in the temple, it didn't seem so...prevalent. Mainly because the whole thing seemed to have been built from the ground up. However, all the caves so far in this mountain seemed to have been formed naturally at least to an extent. This place, though, seemed to have been built to fit the theme, but still be entirely practical.

I mean, I **know** that another 'mid-boss' fight is coming up, due to the stone circle on the floor, but...

"Yes, I've been thinking that too. The caves so far seemed to have been carved out in an intelligent and thorough way. Caves are usually more misleading and random, but this place almost seems to have been meticulously created to resemble the appearance of a cave without actually possessing the layout of a cave. This...place, can't possibly be a naturally formed cavern. It also has a mostly similar stone circle to the one we saw at the entrance to the cave." Lavinia evaluated, agreeing with me.

...

"A **mostly** **similar** stone circle?" I repeated, finding that particular detail had caught my attention the most. Lavinia just nodded and crossed her arms with a confident smile on her lips.

"I may not look it, but I'm also a Magician. I'm trained to notice discrepancies like that. Besides the obvious size difference, the one earlier seemed to have a bunch of decorative markings surrounding a curved tribal-style depiction of a wolf's head, with the blank spaces in each of its eyes having a sun-like symbol. This one is far more elaborate, but it seems to basically have three depictions of a wolf's head on each side, with rugged vine-like patterns interweaving between them." she elaborated.

...

Looking at the mess of engravings in the stone circle, I was able to **somewhat** make out a single Wolf's head...when I started cocking my own head to the side to get a better point of view on it.

"How the hell are you able to make all that out...?" I asked, having trouble identifying the 'vine-like patterns'. Whenever I got close to getting one pathway down, it would seem to go straight through what could've been a wolf's head...or some weirdly shaped pair of deer testicles.

"It's just practice, Douglas. That, and an understanding of the formation and reverse-engineering of magic circles. They're not shaped randomly, you know~!" she playfully bumped my shoulder.

...

Okay, I'll give her that one. If nothing else, she can feel like she's getting a bit of payback on me for teasing her over her 'little brother fetish'.

I still think that's a thing, though.

Walking further into the room and onto the stone circle, I turned my head to tell Lavinia to stand ba-!

 **{{ROAR}}**

 **{{ROAR}}**

Hearing a pair of guttural roars coming from the pile of rubble across from us, I quickly got into a defensive stance and shouted to Lavinia.

"Shit's happenin'!"

...

In hindsight, I probably could've worded that a little better. You know, considering she's not a [Gamer] and might have a little trouble with immediately understanding what that means when it comes to 'escort missions'.

In layman's terms, it's a kind of prayer that the person we're escorting knows to **BACK THE FUCK UP**!

Shortly after I called out to Lavinia, the pile of rubble and mist across from me **exploded** away from the wall. From the cloud of dust, two hulking beasts burst into the room.

One was blue with glowing white lights where its eyes were supposed to be, while the other was white with glowing blue lights where its eyes were supposed to be. Their bodies were covered with thick fur. Each of their four legs were bulky with muscle and tipped with vicious looking claws. Their torsos were burly and looked to be extremely tough. With three heads a piece, the twelve-foot tall monsters turned their bodies so each of them were facing both of the exits to the room. Raising their heads heads back...

 **{{ROAR}}**

 **{{ROAR}}**

They each let out a single sharp roar. Glancing between each of the exits to the room, they both seemed to be covered in a light blue-colored mist.

Once the beasts were done sealing off our escape routes, they turned their attention back on us. Stepping forward onto the stone circle, the two beasts gave off a deep growl as they stared directly at me.

"Douglas...are you **sure** about fighting these monsters?" Lavinia asked, her voice tinged with worry and uncertainty.

Let's just **see** if I'm confident about fighting these monsters, shall we~?

* * *

 **Name:** Beta Cerberus (Blue)  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 8  
 **HP:** 6,800/6,800  
 **MP:** 750/750

 **STR:** 750  
 **END:** 750  
 **AGI:** 400  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 750  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

 **Name:** Beta Cerberus (White)  
 **Race:** Monster

 **LVL:** 8  
 **HP:** 6,800/6,800  
 **MP:** 750/750

 **STR:** 750  
 **END:** 750  
 **AGI:** 400  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 750  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

"...Lavinia, stand back. If either of them start coming after you, just scream. Don't think, don't try to be polite. Just scream." I spoke, my tone dulling as I drew my sword and lowered myself in my stance, preparing myself to face the twin Cerberuses...Cerberi...?

...the fuck is the plural form of Cerberus!?

Having been stalking towards me slowly and menacingly, the blue Cerberus apparently decided that it didn't feel up to letting me ponder on this mystery. Surging forward with a burst of speed, the beast quickly started closing the 50 foot gap between us in a sprint as its middle head stared me dead in the eye whilst the other heads snapped and snarled.

"Douglas!" Lavinia called, probably feeling extra worried at seeing the beast charge at me.

...*grin*...

Bending my knees, I jumped up into the air when the beast was twenty feet away. As I flew up, the Beta Cerberus was forced to keep surging forward from its momentum, which caused the monster to continue running even as I rocketed over its head and begun to flip forward.

Turning my body in mid-air, I performed a move that I spent a short time getting the hang of during my training earlier.

Orienting my body and aiming to a spot just in front of the beast, I kicked out with my feet to use [Air Jump] to propel myself toward the running Beta Cerberus at the speed of an arrow. Raising my sword behind my head, I slashed at the beast's front left leg as it started trying to slow down.

*Schlick*

 **{{ROAR}}**

As the beast roared in pain, I landed on the ground, I quickly hopped to the left to avoid the rear left leg that was coming straight at me from the monster's leftover momentum. I also managed to see a plume of black smoke pour out of the wound I created.

The beast, with one of its legs severely wounded, tumbled over itself and rolled along the ground with a series of loud 'thuds' whenever its body made contact with the floor.

Landing on the ground after getting out of the creature's way whilst also having to deal with the tremorous vibrations in the ground caused by the blue Beta Cerberus's forced acrobatics exercise, I turned my attention to the white one...

...only to see its two side heads preparing...what looked like balls of white mist in each of their maws.

Using [Control Stick Physics], I dashed forward towards the beast that was charging what was most likely a 'magic'-based attack...

* * *

 **(Lavinia POV)**

There's absolutely no way that this blonde boy is a 'run-of-the-mill' Magician...

Disregarding the fact that he uses his fists and a sword on top of Norse Magic, that little...'technique' he used to maneuver in the air didn't give off any sort of magical energy at all!

For a **human** to have that kind of control over their own body in mid-air without using magic...is it a **[Sacred Gear]** of some sort...?

Such were the thoughts that went through my head as I watched the cheeky little pervert that, despite being nice and helpful, has really been getting on my nerves for the past few hours rocket down from his spot in mid-air and slice open the front left leg of the blue 'Cerberus Clone'.

So far, I've only been able to see him take down those 'Wolves' with hardly any effort at all as they came along. Even that 'Golden Wolf', which I thought possessed an ability that would render Douglas's fighting style useless, and thus force him to show his capability to think up a strategy on the spot, seemed like only a slightly bigger speed bump to the blonde teen. He was able to figure out the mechanics of its ability to a good enough extent in order to counter it within a few seconds.

I felt my worries fade to the back of my mind after I managed to comprehend that Douglas just effectively showed proof that he hasn't fought seriously even **once** since I met him...

He also didn't seem even the slightest bit tired after all of the constant fighting he's done up till now, along with all the jogging to this place. Even after he was finished climbing up that cliff-face, he still didn't seem to even consider taking a break before I brought it up out of concern and consideration for how much I thought he was pushing himself...

A **regular** **Magician**...fighting these giant creatures with pure physical might...along with all of his previous physical exertion...without even breaking a sweat...

... **is** **not** **possible**.

The only way he could do that...is if he was...

Glancing over, I saw the white 'Cerberus Clone' preparing a pair of beach ball-sized magic-infused orbs composed of pressurized white mist inside of the mouths of the two secondary heads. I was considering calling out to Douglas to take heed of the attacks now aimed at him, but decided against it when he used one of his techniques that I saw before...

Like with the 'Golden Wolf', he seemed to simply break out into a full-on sprint without any prior acceleration or momentum whatsoever. Even though such a thing shouldn't be possible, I was also astounded at the **unnatural speed** he showcased!

This boy...he was running at the same speed as some of the more talented 'Exorcists-in-training' that I've seen in action back in Germany...

The two heads of the white 'Cerberus Clone' preened back and opened their jaws to fire off their attacks at Douglas as he shot toward the beast.

The orbs flew through the air at a fairly slow speed compared to how fast Douglas was moving, but Douglas didn't seem to want to take chances. Zipping to the left, coincidentally attempting to draw attention away from my general direction, he dodged one of the balls by at least fifteen feet.

The ball hit the ground where he would have been had he kept running straight towards the monster. With the sound of a glass vase shattering, the ball exploded. The pressurized white mist shot out for at least ten feet, obscuring Douglas from my view.

 **{{ROAR}}**

Hearing the white beast roar in pain, I looked and saw Douglas coming out from having run underneath the beast. His body was posed in a way that seemed like he had just swung his sword at the monster's leg.

I was proven right when I saw a cloud of smoke seep out from underneath the beast. Having had one of its legs injured so heavily, the white beast buckled for just a moment. However, it seemed that my 'companion' was primed to capitalize on that 'moment'...

Douglas stopped his momentum once again with that strange technique of his, before leaping into the air above the creature. Flipping, he kicked his legs out and rocketed towards rugged back of the white 'Cerberus Clone' with his sword outstretched in front of him.

 **{{ROAR}}**

Driving his sword into the beast, he elicited another scream of pain from it. Grasping his sword with both hands, he seemed to roughly jerk it in the direction of the beast's tail. The sword seemed to oblige his brutal request and slid through the creature's broad back seemingly quite easily, causing a much larger amount of black smoke to start cascading off the creature's back-side.

Howling in pain, the 'Cerberus Clone' started to frantically try to shake Douglas off of its back. Ripping his sword free, Douglas jumped off of the creature's back on his own. He leaped in a direction where he would land at the spot on the direct opposite side of the arena from where I was standing with an astounded expression on my face.

Crossing my arms and grasping them tightly, I pushed my suspicions about how much Douglas has lied to me so far into the back of my mind in order to better focus on the 'battle' taking place in front of me.

Glancing from side to side, I saw that Douglas noticed he was now in between the two creatures...who were both starting to get back up. After a moment of smoke escaping their wounds, it seemed that the wounds had closed up. I could barely make out a bit of a black scar mark on each of the creatures' front left legs.

However, the **grin** on Douglas's face spoke clearly of how **little** fear or uncertainty he felt when fighting these creatures.

I'm gonna need to **nicely** ask this **boy** some questions when he's finished fighting these monsters. I've been suspicious of him from the start. I only accepted his help due to how much trouble I would've come across if I were to do this on my own.

But, if I find evidence that this cheeky little brat is leading me on for a less than savory reason, then I'll do my best to play along until we free 'her'. Then, I'll just do a little experiment to see whether or not this kid can tunnel through **a mile of pure ice**.

...

Sticking his left hand out at the white beast, he activated his rather simplistic Norse spell and shot out three magical arrow-shaped projectiles.

 **{{WOOF}}**

 **{{WOOF}}**

 **{{WOOF}}**

However, the two side heads of the white beast, along with one of the heads of the blue beast gave a single bark each. A pressurized wave of force left their mouths and disrupted the projectiles in mid-air, causing them to fizz out as their magical construction was destabilized.

So, they have a defense against magic, then...

Seemingly surprised at what happened, Douglas just narrowed his focus on the white beast. I guess he's figured that, if it would take longer to kill both at the same time, he'll simply focus on one.

So, running towards the white beast, he zipped to the left as the monster raised and swung down its right paw at the spot he would've been at, had he kept going straight.

Running forward and jumping, Douglas got behind the creature in a way that I couldn't see what he was doing. However...

 **{{ROAR}}**

When the beast roared in pain, and when I started hearing the sound of flesh ripping apart, I figured that Douglas was repeatedly slashing at the beast's flank as it was recovering.

Within a brief moment, the monster got back up after its failed attack and rapidly spun its body around, slashing with its right paw to try and swat at its attacker. I saw Douglas get back up on top of the beast in order to get out of the way of its attack before he started violently hacking and slashing at the beast's spine.

 **{{ROAR}}**

Considering the beast started to quickly attempt to shake him off, it would be fair to assume that it was sustaining quite a bit of damage from Douglas's attacks.

I turned my head to the left to see what the blue one was up to.

...

With a growing cloud of blue-colored mist forming around the two side heads' mouths, it was obvious that this one was using the chance to 'charge up' for something. I couldn't tell what exactly the blue mist was meant for, since the magical energy inside was erratically shifting in a way I've never seen happen before.

Considering it was now taking aim at the opposite end of the arena, I felt like I should at least let Dougla-...oh.

He already saw it.

Having stabbed his sword into the white beast's back to remain steady during the monster's thrashing about, he had looked up and saw that the blue beast was aiming in their general direction with two separate clouds of mist spilling out of the side heads' mouths.

Jumping from the white one's back after freeing his sword, Douglas ran towards the center of the ring to get ready for the blue one's attack.

Lowering its side heads', the blue beast released a wave of blue mist that started to cover the entirety of the arena in a cloud that rested at four feet high.

What I found rather strange though, from where I stood outside of the stone circle, was that the mist seemed to be contained within the circle. It was as if an invisible wall kept it from spreading any further.

Looking back inside, I noticed Douglas stop in the center of the ring and glance at the mist.

I wonder if he understands what this mist is supposed to do...

"...that's it?" he asked, his voice dripping with incredulity.

It almost sounded...as if he was disappointed with something.

However, before I was able to try and decipher what Douglas meant with his words, I saw his eyes widen like he realized something.

Considering he smirked, I'm guessing that he has some sort of understanding as to what the mist is, and possibly has some kind of defense for it.

Feeling an increase in the magical pressure surrounding Douglas, I saw a thin layer of glowing blue magical energy dispersing off of his body.

Okay, either he's trying to show-off right now, or he's planning on using the energy he's expelling from his body to force the mist away from him.

...

Seeing the mist easily move away from him, I'm guessing it's the **latter**.

Turning around and running back to the white beast, who had recovered by this point, Douglas seemed intent on finishing one off before focusing on the other.

The white beast seemed to determine that it would be its undoing to let Douglas control the dynamic of the fight, and chose to instead rush at the blonde boy.

Once he got within thirty feet of the beast, he zipped to the left again. Considering he had a technique in order to control his momentum, he was capable of turning like that much faster and more efficiently than the 'Cerberus Clone' was.

So, running until he was behind the creature, he then ran towards it and leaped towards the creature's back once again.

The beast tried to stop him by rapidly turning around to smack him with one of its heads, but Douglas simply kicked his feet out and shot up over the beast's body by around twenty feet or so. Flipping in mid-air, Douglas used that 'technique' again in order to rocket down and impale the beast's back with his sword.

 **{{ROAR}}**

Digging his heels into the beast's shoulders, Douglas ripped his sword out of its back before quickly stabbing it into its back once again.

 **{{ROOOOOAAaaaaarrrrrrrrrr}}**

As the white beast gave off its final roar, it collapsed onto the ground and evaporated into that strange black mist that didn't seem to possess any kind of energy whatsoever.

*thud*

Hearing a dull thud from the spot where the beast vanished, I saw a six-inch wide white orb laying there on the ground. Douglas also seemed to notice as he stared at it.

 **{{{{RRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR}}}**

"SUNOVABITCH!?" Douglas exclaimed, as we were both forced to cover our ears from the considerably louder roar that the blue monster let off.

Was it angry that Douglas killed its twin?

After a moment, the roar died down and the beast lowered its predatorial gaze on Douglas. The blonde rubbed his left ear for a moment, considering it was the one facing the blue beast.

Suddenly, with the sound of a rolling marble, the white orb started to roll towards the blue canine all by itself at a pretty decent speed.

Running and sliding, Douglas managed to get to the orb and put a hand on it. However, the orb seemed to be trying to pull itself out of Douglas's firm grip.

"Oh, you want this, do ya~?" Douglas spoke, smirking at the beast as it clearly didn't seem to like him touching the orb if the menacing growl it was letting off was any indication.

...

I'm guessing he sent it to a magical pocket dimension of some sort, since Douglas literally just made the orb vanish from his grip.

 **{{RROOAARR}}**

Roaring towards the roof of the cave, the blue beast seemed angered that Douglas had seized the orb completely through such a tactic.

Charging towards him, it repeated its same mistake that it made at the start of the fight.

Douglas once again jumped high into the air, whilst also restraining his expelling of magical energy. With the glowing blue layer of energy disappearing from him, he seemed to be breathing deeply as he flipped and shot back down to stab his sword into the beast's back once again.

 **{{ROAR}}**

Roaring in pain, Douglas simply started viciously ripping his sword out before repeatedly stabbing it back into the beast's back over and over and over again. Every now and then, it seemed that he needed to steady himself by bracing against the beast's back with his sword embedded in it, but within moments the blue beast had also fallen.

...

He did it.

Defying any doubts I may have had of his chances, Douglas had cleanly and easily dealt with the two behemoth canines.

Moving forward, I noticed that I was able to enter the ring without any difficulties. It sort of made me wonder if there was a barrier set up during the fight that had just come down, or if the barrier was only 'one-way' to begin with...

Anyways, I had my mind set on answers, and I wasn't about to let this chance pass me up.

* * *

 **(Douglas POV)**

Taking a deep breath and sheathing my sword after I landed on the ground, I mentally sighed at the fact that [Magic Aura] had such a cheap limitation.

It was constantly propelling anything outside of my skin away from me. That doesn't sound too bad...until you go to breathe. The lack of air caused a small bar to pop up underneath my 'HUD Screen' detailing that I only had 100 points of 'Air'. The number continually decreased at a rather fast rate, which seemed to mean that it wouldn't matter how much willpower I had.

If I ran out of 'Air', then I'd suffer consequences. Most likely in the form of losing HP or whatnot, since [Gamer's Mind] prevents me from passing out.

But, more than my discovery about yet another annoying feature of the [Game], I started to wonder...

Was Cameron telling the **truth**? Did I **actually** get **that** much better at fighting during these past few days?

Because...I don't... **feel** like I did.

Those two morons weren't capable of sentient thought and their attacks were **shit**!

Say what you want about being over-leveled, but just using [Air Jump] and [Control Stick Physics], I was able to completely and utterly **rape** a couple of twelve-foot tall three-headed monsters who could literally treat a Puppet King as a 'chew toy'.

It was a little interesting to see their attacks, and their ability to disperse my [Arrows], but I guess that I had too much STR. I was literally doing anywhere from 300 to 400 damage per swing, and I wasn't even aiming at their vitals most of the time.

Because, as Cameron told me, there's a number of factors that determine how physical damage is dealt.

* * *

 **1.** STR vs. END 'Stats'  
 **2.** Any applicable abilities on either side  
 **3.** Race-based weaknesses (apparently, those are a thing)  
 **4.** How much effort you put in to the attack  
 **5.** Where you're hit (the brain and heart are the critical hit points on most living beings)  
 **6.** How you take the attack (whether you block, try to shift out of the way or clench up your muscles beforehand)

* * *

Obviously, they wouldn't be able to beat me.

But, with how easy it was, I started to _**really** _ suspect that Cameron was **babying** **me**...

Hearing footsteps rapidly coming towards me before stopping, I turned to see Lavinia bending down and picking up a blue orb off the ground that looked pretty similar to the white one I had snatched earlier.

Holding it over her head with both hands like she was ready to smash some hobo's face in, she looked at me with one of the most serious expressions I've ever seen on a blonde girl's face.

"We're going to have a small talk, **_Douglas_** _._ "

Man, for some reason, it feels like something eerily similar to this situation happened not too long ago.

What with the 'threatening' and the 'questioning' and all the 'seriousness'...

What **was** that?

Oh! I'm being interrogated again~!

...

Oh...I'm being interrogated again...

...*sigh*...

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **-Author's Note-**

 **I'm literally just asking for blood from any Serafall lovers right now, aren't I?**

 **To anyone who left a Review regarding this topic or chatted with me in PM, it was kind of _your_ fault for getting your hopes up. I simply depicted Serafall _missing_ , and then later had Douglas enter a dungeon. You people drew your own conclusions, and ended up being _not right_.**

 **If you're wondering, yes. I decided on Lavinia being in this dungeon _a long time ago._ **

**If you had trouble figuring it out, I'm trying to paint Lavinia and Douglas's relationship as being fairly superficial and focused almost completely on the fact that she currently needs his help to do stuff and he wants her as an ally. What with her starting to interrogate him, I imagine that she'll also show some sign that I think would be common in Magicians.**

 **Not trusting anyone else at face value.**

 **As far as half-assing the fight scenes with every enemy except for the Great Wolf and the Beta Cerberi, I decided against doing what I did with the Puppets and describing fight after fight in the exact same manner. The mid-bosses were a little different, since they had special gimmicks and higher stats.**

 **Douglas refraining from spending his 'Stat Points' is almost purely because he wants to challenge himself. He's still had a _huge_ advantage over every single enemy he's faced so far in this dungeon.**

 **For anyone concerned about Sona being OOC...I shrug my shoulders to you. In most fics, I only ever see Sona getting embarrassed by being around Serafall. For a genuine sisterly relationship, I'd think that Sona would get emotionally distraught over Serafall (who happens to be a rather important and powerful person, if you weren't aware) going missing without even so much as a peep as to where she is or how she's faring.**

 **Thanks for your patience and for reading! If you want to leave a Review, just glance a little further down on this page!**


	14. Chapter 11 - The REAL Test Begins

**Well, Chapter 10 seemed to do well!**

 **Thanks for that!**

 **This chapter has a bunch of dialogue in it. I've gone through it, and I don't _think_ it's as preachy as it was back in Chapter 8 Part 3. It's still pretty lengthy, though.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: The REAL Test Begins...**

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains]**

...*sigh*...

Turning my body to face Lavinia as she held the orb over her head around fifteen feet away from me, I wondered if my luck with the feminine populace would always be like this...

Oh, who am I kidding, it **absolutely** is going to be like this!

"Small talk, huh? Haven't we **been** doing that since we set out?" I asked as I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

"Yes, and there are quite a few questions that I've been wondering about for a while now. I realize that I'm being a little extreme with my methods, but with how passive you seem to most situations, I felt like this is the only way to ensure that you'll answer me truthfully." Lavinia spoke, obviously pointing to the fact that she was threatening to smash the orb should I fail to comply.

...

"Extreme? This? Nah, you're not anywhere **close** to being extreme." I dismissed, waving my hand through the air to enunciate my point.

Lavinia narrowed her eyes at me.

"Do you not understand your situation? If I break this, then you won't be able to proceed." she threatened.

"Do **you** not understand **your** situation? If **you** break that, then **you** won't be able to proceed." I shot back with a rather cold tone, eliciting a slightly shocked expression from the older girl.

Seemingly resolving herself, Lavinia just glared at me.

"You won't be able to finish your job." she tried to counter.

" **You** would pretty much be signing **your** friend's death certificate." I **actually** countered.

Lavinia went tense for a moment as the tell-tale signs of understanding bloomed over her facial features. Her arms bent slightly as it seemed she was seeing the logic of the situation.

"Lavinia, **your** friend needs your help. And, in order for you to help your friend, **you** need **my** help. I'm pretty much doing this because it's convenient for me to do so and you don't **seem** like a bad person. I can understand not wanting to trust me, and honestly I really couldn't give a **fried fuck** over whether you do or not. But, breaking that orb will only do one thing..." I explained, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It will give me a legitimate reason to **stop helping you**." I finished, letting that sink in to the girl's brain.

Other than the fact that I then started to hear crickets chirping in the background for a few seconds, I saw Lavinia take a deep breath before lowering her arms slowly. Slumping to the ground, she seemed tired and drained.

I guess all of these things happening around her while she's helpless to do anything herself is really taking a toll on her emotional and mental stamina.

I then realized that I would probably be considered freakish or mentally unstable for the rest of my life due to [Gamer's Mind] getting rid of any form of fatigue and mental stress.

That also begs the question of whether or not I can genuinely feel empathy for other people anymore, since I'm effectively immune to most side-effects of personal issues.

...

Anyways, I simply stood there, watching Lavinia's shoulders droop down as she splayed her legs out underneath her on the stone floor with an awkward expression on my face.

"I...I was so close...to just **throwing away** my only chance to save her, and for what?" Lavinia mumbled, her voice laced with guilt and shame.

Sighing and uncrossing my arms, I walked forward and knelt down to be more on eye-level with the stressed out girl.

"Look, I understand that you and your friend are going through a rough patch, and that it's probably been grating on your nerves for a while now, but it ain't gonna do anyone any good to go losing your cool over it. I'm an asshole, and I don't exactly give off a **trustworthy aura** , but if you want to talk to me seriously, then you just have to **ask**. I personally don't take kindly to threats, and I'll only forgive those who threaten me under certain **special** circumstances. Now, what exactly did you wanna ask me?" I spoke calmly, propping and arm up onto my knee.

Lavinia just trembled for a moment before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She then raised her head to re-establish eye contact. I saw a glimmer of wetness in her sapphire gems, but I'll go ahead and not say anything about that.

No sense in making her feel ashamed for breaking down just a little bit.

"O...Okay. I'm...uh, sorry. For threatening to break the orb like I did." she spoke hesitantly, glancing down at the blue orb resting in her lap.

I just smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it."

...

"Um...Douglas, one of the things I was wondering...what **exactly** is the job that you're here to do?" she asked after another moment of calming herself down. I just sighed at her question, figuring that she wouldn't simply drop her curiosity/suspicions due to the fact that she was a genuine Magician.

That's probably a common trait amongst their communities, to be dishonest or suspicious about **everything**.

"I explore places like this. But, I'm also a sort of 'monster hunter'. I learned about these Wolves being here and decided to investigate the area whilst also exterminating the pests." I answered as truthfully as I could, whilst still being discreet about the whole [Gamer] thing.

"How did you learn about the 'Wolves'? And **where** is **here**?" she then asked.

Ah, so she's now asking the hard questions.

"A good friend told me, and I'm not exactly sure where we are. He kind of just sent me here out of the blue. I have a way to get back, at least to Japan anyway." I responded.

"A good friend just sent you to a place filled with ravenous monsters? What kind of friend would do that?" Lavinia asked, seemingly confused about any motives that a certain asshole may or may not have.

"Mm, he's a pretty shitty dude, but he's really helping me out. Besides, you've seen how easy it is for me to fight these mutts." I agreed, shrugging my shoulders.

Lavinia then moved to rest both of her hands on top of the orb in her lap.

"How did you learn to fight like that? Have you ever been affiliated with any of the supernatural factions?" she asked, probably referring to my fight with the twins just now where I showed off my [Control Stick Physics] and [Air Jump] abilities.

Abilities that a normal person shouldn't be able to use.

"My friend trained me for the most part. The rest is sheer dumb luck. And no, I've never been a part of any of them."

"...what's this friend's name?"

"Cameron."

...

After I answered her, we fell into a lull of silence. I simply kept calmly staring into Lavinia's eyes, whilst she seemed to be mulling over the answers I've given her.

Finally, after about ten seconds of silence, she spoke up again.

"I...I just can't help but feel unsure, Douglas. Why would you go out of your way for a stranger like me? Sure, it may seem convenient, but you're definitely putting yourself through a lot of unnecessary trouble by doing this." Lavinia confessed, her hands clutching the orb like a lifeline.

I just sighed again before smiling.

"You're weak right now. That means you should shut up, stop worrying and just accept the help of others so long as you don't have a genuine reason not to. Only when you get your **[Sacred Gear]** back will you have the right to be thinking about my **motivation** for helping you." I waved her off, though seeing the look of shock pass over her face was rather gratifying for my 'inner jackass'.

"W-Wha!?" she muttered, seemingly unable to comprehend how I managed to know she had a **[Sacred Gear]** , or that her friend **was** the **[Sacred Gear]**.

"Lavinia is a very beautiful name, but **not** a very common one. Wouldn't you agree, Ms. Reni?" I asked, a tinge of smugness lacing my voice as I used her last name (which she never informed me of).

Flabbergasted, the girl seemed to be quite embarrassed when she realized that I know quite a bit about her already, even when she was also trying to keep secrets from me.

It wasn't a stupid move by her, by any stretch, but I simply took a shot in the dark over the fact that she's a **[Longinus]** wielder and that she's affiliated with multiple factions. That means that she'll be pretty well-known by various peoples in the supernatural world and that it wouldn't be suspicious for me to have heard rumors about her.

I'm technically not being conspicuous with my knowledge of canon if there's a plausible reason for me knowing about stuff.

Yay for semantics!

"H-How long have yo-Pretty much since you told me your name." I replied, a shit-eating grin spreading on my face.

Taking a moment to get over her shock of me being aware of who she is, Lavinia just sighed.

"If you know who I am, then aren't you scared of me betraying you when I get my **[Sacred Gear]** back?" she asked, staring at me with a sullen expression.

I just quirked an eyebrow.

"Even if I **were** concerned with such a thing, I'm pretty sure that I'm a flea compared to the wielder of the **[Absolute Demise]**. I doubt I'd even be **able** to do anything if you turned against me." I replied, a sardonic tone entering my voice.

Lavinia just seemed even more confused.

"That's exactly my point! You have no idea about any of that! So, why would you put yourself through so much trouble when I could just stab you in the back after I rescue Demi!?" she responded, her voice growing louder with incredulity.

...

"So...I'm supposed to just **assume** , with plenty of evidence to the contrary, that every single goddamn person on this hell-hole of a planet is out to get me? To immediately label every living entity with the capacity for sentient thought as nothing more than a **vile** , **disgusting** and **traitorous** piece of filth? That just because I don't know every single little thing about you, I should **outright dismiss** the idea of helping you when you obviously need it, even when you've hardly done **anything** to prove that you shouldn't be trusted?"

With the gravest tone I could muster, I asked her those questions.

Lavinia just stared at me, mouth agape, as she tried to get over her surprise of me being so critical of her viewpoint concerning our situation.

"Because, Lavinia, that sounds like an **excessively cynical** ideology. We've gotten this far without explicitly trusting each other, so why can't we just keep our 'big girl panties' on and go the rest of the way?" I concluded, standing back up and dusting off the knees of my **Wool Pants**.

Looking down at Lavinia, I just saw her lips form into a wry smile.

"Talking down to me like that...you definitely don't seem to care much about your own well-being." Lavinia said, an air of disbelief surrounding her. I just smirked.

"I'm just not gonna sit here and waste time trying to get a stranger to trust me. The world will keep spinning no matter what, so we all just need to accept that our decisions don't mean all that much." I replied, waving my hand through the air dismissively.

Lavinia just sighed before standing up.

"Hearing that just makes me feel like you weren't hugged enough as a child." she teased weakly, though it almost felt like she **actually** gave consideration to such a thought.

"I probably wasn't. But, I find it strangely comforting to think like that. It makes a lot of sense to me. It makes me feel like, even though the world is a shitty place, it's still our home. It's not gonna sink into the realm of darkness just because one of us is having a bad day." I shrugged, watching as Lavinia gently lifted the blue orb in her hands to be level with her eyes and stared into it like it was some sort of crystal ball.

"...'still our home'...?" she muttered, her sapphire irises seeming to stare past the orb and through the wall on the other side of the cavern.

Sighing again, the older girl smiled as she looked down at me.

"Well, now I feel like an idiot. I went off and had a temper-tantrum, with almost nothing to show for it!" she remarked, showing a slightly embarrassed face.

I just smirked.

"Well, older sisters **are** well-known for their tendency to overreact~!" I commented. Lavinia just narrowed her eyes at me in an annoyed fashion before sighing tiredly.

"...I guess they are. Anyways, I feel like I've wasted enough time already with that little scene, so..." Lavinia replied, her voice seeming resigned.

Holding her hands out, she presented the orb to me for taking.

I just smiled before bringing the white orb out of my 'Inventory'.

"Catch."

Giving it a small toss into the air, Lavinia seemed panicked as she moved forward and caught it in her right hand whilst also securing the blue orb in her left hand.

"Wha!? Douglas, what were you **thinking**!?" Lavinia shouted, shocked that I had endangered our whole 'mission' on the chance that she would be able to react quickly enough to catch the orb.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but these orbs are **damn hard**. I doubt that, with physical strength alone, you would've even been **capable** of breaking them~!" I teased before chuckling to myself as Lavinia's face turned beet red as she realized that she wasn't just making a **stupid threat**.

She was making an **empty threat**.

Hooray for the idea that 'key items' are 'unbreakable'!

"...I'm so embarrassed right now." Lavinia murmured, cradling the orbs to her body as she looked away from me.

"...meh."

"Mmmm~..." Lavinia pouted at me again.

"Well, in all seriousness, I figure letting you hold onto the orbs will help ease your nerves a little. Plus, if you swing them around, you can bash someone's head in. And, should you be considering leaving me behind, I should warn you. I think there's an even **bigger** monster in this cave than those two knock-offs." I explained my reasoning, walking towards the pathway that we **didn't** come from.

Lavinia just fell into step beside me.

"Um...Douglas, I think I should come clean with you now. I lied earlier. I **do** remember what all has happened since I came to this place." Lavinia confessed. I just smirked and winked at her.

"I know."

...

"Douglas, this is getting very creepy now. How much have you already been aware of about our whole situation?" Lavinia asked, her expression seemingly horrified for some reason.

"Barring specific details, pretty much everything, I'd wager. It seemed too convenient for someone like you to not remember stuff like that, considering your **[Sacred Gear]** 's safety is on the line. Amnesia or disorientation can only go so far before it crosses into the realm of 'bullshit', especially when you most likely don't have any head trauma." I responded.

Lavinia just slumped her shoulders.

"Then...why didn't you say anything?" she then asked, her voice indicating that she felt defeated and humiliated for having tried **so hard** to keep **so much information** away from me.

"Nothing would've changed. I already knew where we'd be going and what kinds of enemies I'd be dealing with. That means that, we'd still go through this exact cave and fight these exact same enemies. And, as I demonstrated, these monsters don't pose a real threat to me. Which meant that forcing you to tell me would've ultimately been meaningless." I replied in a nonchalant manner.

Lavinia just let out a soft whine.

"That's...you're a really mean boy, you know that?" Lavinia gave a fake cry, even going so far as to make her shoulders tremble.

Walking up to the 'exit' of the cavern we were in, I just reached over and patted Lavinia on the shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure how to do this, but my first idea is to present the orbs and hope that it'll dispel the mist." I theorized. Lavinia just gave a little shake of her head in order to focus on what was happening.

"Right."

And so, raising both orbs in front of her, Lavinia attempted to dispel the mist.

...

Nope.

"It's not working. It may require magical energy to be channeled through the orbs. I don't have access to my reserves right now, for some reason...so..." Lavinia prompted.

Sighing, I just shrugged before reaching my hands out and placing them on each of the orbs.

Now, even though I don't have any real experience with shit like this, I have some hunches.

Activating my [Magic Aura], I was surrounded by a thin blue layer of light.

Focusing on the tingly feeling rippling over my skin, I attempted to try and focus on it moving towards my hands.

After a moment, and emptying my mind of any other thoughts, I started to feel the tingly feeling shifting so that it only covered my arms.

"Douglas...do you... **not know** how to channel your magical energy already?" Lavinia asked, her disbelieving voice reaching my ears and breaking my concentration.

Deactivating my [Magic Aura] ability, I sighed and looked at her dubious expression.

"I've never had to control it like this before." I responded, an uneasy tone entering my voice.

"I see...that also explains why you're wasting so much energy whenever you use Norse Magic..." Lavinia remarked, seemingly reaching a conclusion about something instead of simply getting suspicious.

...

Shit. That was **actually** a close one.

If it turned out that you **shouldn't** be able to perform magic unless you can properly channel your magical energy, I'd have to pull shit out of my ass in order to explain how I can use Norse Magic to begin with!

"What you were just doing was effectively expelling magical energy from your body. In the case of your magic circles, you're just pouring energy all over them to activate them. There's a bit of a funnel, though, so you're not wasting as much energy as you **could** be wasting. What you should try to do is create a pathway for it to follow, like a circuit. That's the basic technique that Magicians use in order to limit the amount of magical energy they waste. It's not a perfect fix, but the extra concentration you expend will definitely help keep your reserves in better shape for a longer period of time." she explained, sounding none too annoyed to be doing so. However, she then sighed.

"...at least, that's the main gist of what you should do. First, start expelling your magical energy again, but this time try to control it so that it stays inside of your body.

...

*sigh*

I'm gonna have to fucking **try**?

Closing my eyes and activating my [Magic Aura] again to bring out that tingling feeling. Focusing, I tried to guide the feeling back under my skin.

It took a moment, but I gradually felt the tingling recede back into my body. It almost felt like a small vibration across my entire body.

"That's much better, Douglas. Now, try to get the energy to circulate through your body. It helps to picture it like a river, flowing underneath your skin. If you don't do this step, then eventually you will cause damage to your internal organs from the increased pressure you're putting on them." Lavinia then ordered.

Well, that sounds **fucking peachy**!?

Though, considering my ability to regenerate is so freaking broken, I probably won't have to worry about something like that.

Anyways, like a river running underneath my skin, I imagined the energy flowing. Controlling it was far easier than I would've expected, so within seconds my magical energy was chugging along.

"Good. Now, to channel your energy outside of your body efficiently, imagine the river branching out of one of your hands, flowing in a circle, and back into your hand."

Doing as instructed, I felt the tingling sensation pour out of my outstretched right hand before circling around and flowing back into it. I couldn't feel the magical energy that was flowing in the air, though.

However, I did feel when the flow coming back to my hand was cut off. Opening my eyes, I saw a small stream of blue light leaving my hand, and flowing into the blue orb that Lavinia had moved into the path of the stream at some point. Then, inside of the blue orb, a light started to glow dimly and swirl around.

"You're still wasting a lot of energy, since you're not really controlling the flow and shape of the energy, but it's **much** better now. Do the same with your left hand now." Lavinia smiled at me, holding up the white orb.

Stretching my left hand out towards the orb, noting that it was about four feet from it, I imagined the river flowing out of my left hand without even bothering to make it flow back into me since it's just gonna be used to power the orb.

Seeing the stream reach out about two feet, I noted that it wouldn't stretch anymore. Lavinia just giggled softly.

"Your flow is also a little on the weak side. It gets easier with practice, but you'll run into this problem eventually. The magical energy is naturally trying to recede back into your body where the rest of the magical energy is. The force that it is exerting is now equal to the concentration and willpower that you're exerting on it that's telling it to flow out of your body, and thus it's stuck there." she explained, seemingly reminiscing about some fond memory.

Taking a step forward, whilst keeping my concentration up, I moved my left hand closer to the white orb and allowed the stream of magical energy to enter it. Like with the blue one, the white orb started to glow in the center as magical energy started swirling around inside of it.

After a moment of doing this, I noticed that nothing was happening with the mist.

"Hmm...perhaps..." Lavinia pondered before shrugging the orbs away from me. The light still remained inside of them, though.

Moving forward, Lavinia just breathed deeply before her eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, each orb gave off a bright flash of light in their own respective colors...

...

...and the light blue mist dissipated.

"So, the energy needs to be expelled quickly for it to affect the mist. That's the trick." Lavinia remarked, smiling at her accomplishment.

I just bopped her on the shoulder with my right hand.

"Good thing you're here, Lavinia. I probably would've just chucked the orbs at the mist. Now, how about we go help your friend?" I proposed, walking forward.

Lavinia just hummed in agreement as she followed.

The opening that we uncovered led into a downwards path. It wasn't very long, maybe only being about 100 feet in length.

Walking down the path, we came into a smaller half-circle cavern. The room couldn't have been more than 100 feet wide in diameter and 40 feet high.

However, on the flat wall on the far side of the room, was a picture.

It was a 'Yin-Yang' symbol, except one side was colored gold with a blue circle and the other was colored purple with an orange circle.

...

I glanced over at that point to see Lavinia just scanning over the room with a slightly curious expression.

"An empty space. Perhaps this is simply the place where those creatures slept?" she commented, turning to me to see about my opinion.

Ah, so she doesn't seem to be capable of seeing the picture on the wall...

Best to keep that a little secret, then.

"Probably. There's nothing really to see here. Let's go ahead and head back to that mist barrier we ran into before." I shrugged, turning around and walking back up the slope.

* * *

 **7:44 AM – 24 Minutes Later...**

With a flash of light from the two orbs, the first mist barrier that we had come across in this cave system faded away into nothingness. Lavinia simply smiled at the sight, probably happy that we're now going to help her friend.

Making our way down the downward slope, we had to make a few 'u-turns' to follow the path. It just kept descending further and further down.

After walking down about 400-500 feet from where we started, we came to a 12-foot tall roughly-constructed door made of...ice?

As we approached the door, a 'red-and-green' barrier formed in front of it.

Shifting our positions so that I was to the left of Lavinia, I watched as she tentatively examined the barrier.

"Hm...this barrier is quite different from any I've seen before. How are we going to get past this one, Dougla...Ngh!?" Lavinia started to ponder, before turning her head towards me. However, I just reached over and gently gripped the back of her head with my right hand.

Then, twisting my wrist, I forcibly turned her head to a point where she wouldn't be able to see anything that **might** happen.

Bringing my **[Twice Critical]** out, I jabbed it at the barrier. I watched as the barrier formed spider-web cracks before shattering, just like it did back in the 'temple'. I then put my **[Sacred Gear]** away.

Letting go of Lavinia, who had quickly started to squirm underneath my grip, I was met by the annoyed face of a young blonde woman.

"Mngh, that was uncalled for, Douglas! I might have calmed down from earlier, but that doesn't mean you can just go and manhandle other people like that!" she complained, reaching back and fixing her ponytail.

Ah, I must've messed it up a bit.

...my bad.

"I was just trying to preserve your innocence." I muttered nonchalantly, stepping forward and propping my right hand against the, now barrier-free, door.

Lavinia just sighed before shrugging.

"That passive facade must be frustrating to keep up with..." she commented, her voice laced with the barest amount of sympathy.

"You have no idea." I responded sarcastically, showing that I didn't take such an accusation seriously.

Looking to the door, Lavinia just quirked an eyebrow as I opened it easily.

"How did you undo the barrier?"

"...magic?"

...

Ignoring the somewhat awkward atmosphere between Lavinia and I that developed shortly after my last answer, I stepped into the room that was obviously themed to be some sort of 'Winter Paradise from Hell'...

What greeted us was a large 250-foot wide, 200-foot tall circular chamber where nearly every surface was covered with blue-tinted ice. In the middle of the floor was yet another circle, though this one was simply etched into the ice with white markings. On the opposite side of the room, was a smaller metal door that had two six-inch wide holes arranged on the front of it in a way that was asking for someone to stick something in them. There were also blue veins of energy being siphoned out of that room via some chains that were snaking through the holes in the wall right above the door.

Following the path that the chains took, I saw where the energy was being siphoned to.

On the left side of the room, just outside of the circle etched into the ground, there was a monstrous looking creature trapped in a large clump of ice that was being fed energy from the chains. It was hard to make out details of the creature, but the vague outline was **quite familiar**...

I knew that this would be another boss fight, so I used [Observe] on the structure of ice to try to find out what the boss would be like.

* * *

 **-Non-Observable-**

* * *

Well, screw you too, ya big pile of frozen shit!

Pointing towards the door on the far side whilst keeping my eyes focused on the obvious threat in the room, I spoke to Lavinia.

"We're going to that door. If anything happens, either get yourself out of harm's way, or just let me do it. If a fight breaks out, get to that door and use the orbs to open it." I explained. Lavinia just grunted in agreement.

Walking warily towards the door, we were both ready to spring into action at any moment.

I also noticed that, on the ceiling, there was a similar glass panel like the one in the temple's 'boss room'.

I'm still thinking that it's a portal...

Thankfully, it seemed that nothing was going to happen as we made it to the other side without incident.

As Lavinia placed the orbs into both holes of the metal door, I kept my focus on the creature in the ice.

However, when the door was pushed open by Lavinia...

 **{{{SSSSSSKKKKRRRREEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIII}}}**

I winced sharply at the loud feminine shriek that came from inside the room. However, my attention was truly diverted when a different, much more familiar, feminine shriek reached my ears.

"Yyyaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Lavinia screamed in pain. My head swiveled around almost before I was able to consciously comprehend what I was doing as I tried to see what happened, only to see Lavinia fall to the ground whilst gripping her head in her hands like her brain was threatening to split her head apart.

"Lavinia!" I grunted, my voice sounding far more worried that I'd ever care to admit.

Tearing my focus away from the demonic-looking chunk of ice, I quickly made my way over to Lavinia and crouched down to check on her.

Her skin was turning pale white as her eyes were letting out a constant stream of tears. She was crying and groaning as she seemed to suffer immensely.

Seeing flashes of light coming from the room, I looked over to see that, crucified with chains on the front of a large metal slab standing up in the middle of a small circular chamber past the door, was a 3 meter tall mannequin in the shape of a female wearing a victorian-style dress with four slender arms made entirely of ice. The doll's face didn't have a nose or a mouth, but instead had six eyes decorated on the left side of its visage. The right side, however, was studded with icy thorns.

Even though the doll had no mouth, it was obviously the source of the ungodly shriek that I heard.

Using [Observe] on the doll, in order to get a better idea of the specifics of the situation, I got my answer...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Absolute Demise  
 **Race:** Sacred Gear (Longinus)  
 **Affiliation:** Lavinia Reni  
 **Title:** Eternal Ice Princess

 **LVL:** 89  
 **HP:** 106/1,000,000  
 **MP:** 318/3,000,000

 **STR:** 1,000  
 **END:** 1,000,000  
 **AGI:** 1,000  
 **INT:** 1,000  
 **MAG:** 3,000,000  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

The **[Absolute Demise]**...

With chains being impaled into various sections of the **[Longinus]** 's body via spikes attached to the ends of them, it was quite easy to verify that the situation was similar to the one that I found Rossweisse in.

And, from what it seemed like, the fact that we managed to open up the door to this room sped up the rate at which energy was being siphoned from the **[Sacred Gear]**. What was even more troubling...

...was that it was also draining Lavinia of her own HP.

* * *

 **-HP:** 241/300 (RESTRICTED)-

* * *

The mannequin seemed to be conscious and sentient, however. Within a moment it had quieted its own shriek and angled its head to look at the doorway Lavinia and I were in. Seeing the blonde-haired girl writhing in pain on the ground, the mannequin seemed to start thrashing against the binds keeping it against the metal slab.

Glancing back to the monstrous clump of ice that was still sitting in the large chamber, I determined that it would be best for me to move Lavinia into the smaller chamber with her **[Sacred Gear]**.

Reaching down to grab the older girl, I noticed the thrashing of the doll started to hasten as a strange ringing sound came from it.

It most likely was assuming that I was a threat to Lavinia's safety out of desperation and confusion.

"Alright, Lavinia. You're gonna be fine." I spoke gently as I gingerly grasped her underneath her armpits and hoisted her up and off the cold ground. She was still crying and squirming in pain, but it seemed that she was trying to calm herself down with sheer willpower.

With haste, I dragged Lavinia into the small chamber to be within ten feet of the imprisoned doll. Looking at it, the doll's thrashing seemed to have slowed as its Mistress was brought closer to it.

Gently lowering the blonde to the ground, I activated my [Hands of Healing] spell in order to hopefully give Lavinia a bit more HP since she was actively losing it at a rate of 10-12 points per second.

Seeing her HP number instantly pop back up to 300 within a split second of my spell touching her, I sighed in relief.

Alright, so I've gotten Lavinia covered. Now, I need to see if the **[Absolute Demise]** can be healed as well.

Moving away from Lavinia, I scooted over to be directly in front of the doll as quick as I could. Reaching out a hand, I noticed the doll seemed to tense up and move away from it. However, since it was impaled and held stationary, I was able to put my right hand on th...

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK MEEEEEEEEE!

WHY DID I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA!?

* * *

 **-WARNING-  
** **-HP: CRITICAL-  
** **-HP:** 298/4,640 **-**

* * *

Tearing my hand away from the strongest 'ice-type' **[Sacred Gear]** to ever exist, I noted that the skin on the front of my hand was now blue.

In an instant, this insane fucking ice doll froze the blood **inside** of my fucking hand!?

Activating my [Hands of Healing] spell with my left hand, I immediately set out to get rid of the stinging/numbing sensation that had taken over my entire right hand.

At that point, though, I heard a chiming sound coming from above me. Looking up, I was met face-to-face with the ice doll fixating its six lifeless eyes on me, but not in a hostile way.

Tilting its head, the ice doll seemed to be more... **curious** , than anything.

After a about a minute of healing myself back to full HP, whilst also taking breaks to repeatedly heal Lavinia so that her HP wouldn't drop to zero, I just sighed tiredly.

"Seriously, I fight hundreds of Wolves, climb mountains and traverse an entire freaking cave to bring Lavinia to you, and you go and nearly freeze my hand off!" I jokingly complained, smiling and glancing towards the blonde girl who had quieted down nearly as soon as I placed my hand on her 'psycho-doll'.

The ice doll seemed to understand me, somehow, since it also looked over towards its Mistress.

Moving back over to her, I used the healing spell on her again to bring her back to full health, since I had wasted time on mistakenly moving too quickly to heal her **[Sacred Gear]**.

Looking at the doll's HP, I just smiled.

* * *

 **-HP:** 220/1,000,000 **-**

* * *

"Looks like I might've bought us a little more time. Though, the best thing to do, would be to get those spikes out of ya." I spoke out loud, eyeing the nails that were sticking through the doll's form.

The doll didn't seem very expressive, so I just made a show of standing up and moving towards it slowly.

"Listen. I'm going to try to pull these spikes out of you, alright? Please try not to freeze me again." I spoke as I calmly and carefully reached towards one that was sticking through the forearm of the doll.

Thankfully, the doll seemed to understand now that I wasn't an enemy, or at least that I wasn't doing anything that would bring harm to it or its Mistress.

Grasping a hold of the slightly chilly piece of metal, I was a little jumpy as I propped my left foot against the metal slab that the doll was held against. Giving the nail a good yank, it slid easily out of the ice doll's forearm. The doll seemed to tense up for a moment in pain, but it seemed like it was a much less painful thing to go through than having its life energy be forcibly sucked out of it.

 **{{{Gggggrrrrrr}}}**

Hearing the sound of a canine growl, I just smiled at the doll.

"Ngh, well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" I asked in a lighthearted tone as I tossed the nail and chain over to the left side of the room. It landed with a sharp clanking sound as it bounced and tumbled on the ice, but I paid it no mind.

Lavinia, having calmed down enough, raised her head up to see what was going on. Her eyes widened when she saw the figure strapped to the metal slab.

"Demi...you're okay..." she muttered, her voice still seeming pained, but overall much better than a moment ago.

The doll made a chiming noise as it looked to the blonde girl in relief.

"Yoink!" I grunted as I tore out another nail that was impaled into the doll's shoulder. It seemed to grunt at the pain, though I wasn't too sure.

 **{{{Gggggrrrrrr}}}**

Ignoring the continued growls that resulted from my actions, I glanced over at Lavinia to see her HP decreasing at a slower rate, but still decreasing.

Walking over to her, I healed her before going back to the doll with my healing spell still active on my right hand.

"Now, we're gonna try this again, but please don't freeze my hand this time." I chided as I carefully placed my hand on the doll's stomach.

Unlike last time, where it was so blistering cold that I wasn't even able to react for a half-second, this time it was like putting my hand on an ice cube. Cold, but not stupidly cold.

Seeing the doll's HP go up to around 2,000, I turned back to heal Lavinia again before going ahead and getting to work on pulling out the other dozen or so spikes that had been held in place inside the doll's body.

Lavinia just started to lightly cry in relief as I continued pulling out spike after spike from the body of her **[Sacred Gear]**. I just chuckled as I chose to not comment on her expressing her feelings like she was.

"There...and there." I said as I pulled out the last two spikes, that were impaling the doll's chest area for some reason.

Once it was free of its imprisonment, the doll fell forward off the metal slab. Reacting quickly, I reached out and caught the giant ice lady...

Considering our difference in height, I won't explain what parts of the doll's body my head just **happened** to get pushed up against as it limply fell onto me.

Gently maneuvering the doll onto the ground beside Lavinia, I just sighed tiredly before looking at the doorway where the sound of bestial growling had been growing more and more prevalent as I pulled out more spikes from the doll's body.

"Douglas..." I heard Lavinia softly mutter as she reached out and grasped one of the doll's hands in her own. The doll made a chiming sound when this happened, like it was happy.

Looking down into the sapphire gems that were shimmering more than the prettiest ice crystals in this whole damn dungeon, I saw a small smile grace her lips.

"I...we still don't really know each other all that well...but...thank you so much for helping me save her. This...Demi means the world to me...and now she's safe, and it's all because you helped me." she quietly, yet graciously, spoke.

Smiling at the girl, I just waved my hand in the air.

"Aw, you're just gonna make me blush~! I'd save the thanks, however..." I playfully spoke before I tilted my head to the point that a loud and satisfying 'cracking' sound echoed in the small chamber.

"After all, the fun's just about to start." I said, walking to the door as my smile turned to a grin.

Stepping outside the door, I saw the monster inside of the ice started to violently shake around in an attempt to free itself from the ice. The chains that were connected to it were also falling to the ground, their source of energy having been freed from their attachment.

Turning around, I grasped both sides of the door and closed it.

I didn't want Lavinia or her doll to get hurt. Especially since I was so close to rescuing them from this place. I'll leave the orbs inside of the door, though, so that they can get out should something happen to me...

Rolling my shoulders a few times, I turned back and walked into the circle with a bit of excitement entering my veins.

Why, you ask?

 **{{{GgggrrrrrrRRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR}}}**

After I had gotten to the middle of the circle, the beast trapped in the clump of ice gave off a mighty roar. With that roar, the twenty-foot tall Cerberus forcibly freed itself of its icy shell with a burst of strength. As most of the ice was blown off its body as a fine mist of frozen water, there was a single clump of ice that was about the size of a beach ball that had shot out into the air above the beast.

The ball of ice flew in an arcing motion directly towards the spot I was standing on. Smirking, I dashed forward and jumped towards the icy projectile.

About twenty feet above the ground, I managed to grab onto the ball of ice. Letting the momentum of the ball carry me, my body flipped forward in the air. I took aim and tried to time my throw right before releasing the ball back at the Cerberus.

Sailing through the air, and into the cloud of icy mist that had formed around the beast, I heard it make contact with a shattering sound as the beast stopped roaring and made a startled grunt. I saw it recoil inside the mist as the ball had struck one of its heads right in the jaw.

Thank you, [Perfect Throw]!

As the mighty dog shook off the hit it just received, the cloud of mist surrounding it also fell to the ground. Now that the mighty dog was freed from the large clump of ice surrounding it, I saw that the Cerberus **itself** was wearing a layer of ice over every inch of skin like an armor. There was a large metal ring encompassing all three of its necks, with each head having the shape of a different breed of dog. The eyes on each head were also glowing different colors. One was red, another was blue, and the final was green.

Opening its mouth, the monster snarled at me with its filthy yellow teeth...

...

This is a fucking joke. There's absolutely no way that a coincidence like **this** can happen.

It's the Cerberus from 'Devil May Cry 3'.

 **AW, YEAH BOI!**

After having played through 'Devil May Cry 3' so many times, all the way up to 'Heaven or Hell mode', I was fucking **born** to fight this guy!

Back then, the 'square button' on my controller was broken as well, so I couldn't use my guns to cheat my way to the finish! It was swords and skill that got me through!

Well, that and dying thousands of times, but that detail is irrelevant!

 **(((Play DmC 3: Cerberus Theme)))**

I didn't see any source of sound, but I heard the familiar music start echoing in the chamber that played whenever I fought this guy in the game.

Looking towards the monster, I used [Observe] again. After I did so, a golden screen popped up underneath the 'Observed Screen'.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Alpha Cerberus  
 **Race:** Boss Monster

 **LVL:** 10  
 **HP:** 13,438/13,600  
 **MP:** 1,000/1,000

 **STR:** 1,000  
 **END:** 800  
 **AGI:** 600  
 **INT:** 0  
 **MAG:** 1,000  
 **LUK:** 0

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** - **Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** -Escort Lavinia Reni Safely  
-Defeat 'Alpha Cerberus'

 **(Optional)  
 _-Compliment Lavinia Reni (5/5) (COMPLETED)  
_** _-'?''_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Lavinia Reni  
 _-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

"Wow, you're only **slightly** stronger than the two Betas..." I remarked, seeing that the Cerberus had only taken 162 points of damage from that attack. Dismissing the screens, I decided that **this** fight would deserve a **bit** of attention.

The beast lowered its heads as it stalked its way into the circular arena.

 _ **{Yes.}**_ I heard the same deep gutteral voice of the Cerberus in the game speak as it glared at me.

 _ **{I knew I smelled your filthy scent the moment you showed up. Only a [Gamer] would be so brazen as to trespass onto the territory the Master has gifted to me.}**_

Keeping the beast in my sight, I saw that it had started circling around me like a predator. Following its actions, I started to circle around it as well.

We were both steadily making our way into the center of the arena as we did this, for some odd reason.

"Well, I admit I haven't bathed in a few hours, but does that really make me 'filthy'?" I playfully asked, not feeling anywhere near as much tension now as I did with the Puppet King.

Looking over to the door to the smaller chamber, I noticed a yellow barrier covering it. Using [Observe] on it, I found out that the barrier would protect the door from everything...

...including **sound**.

That's good, for me at least.

 _ **{All of you [Gamers] reek of blood. You slaughter us left and right, constantly and without restraint nor mercy.}**_ the beast grimly stated, baring its fangs at me.

"Can't help ya there. You guys give me EXP and money. Not to mention that you guys attack me on sight anyways." I shrugged, turning my eyes back to the beast's.

The Alpha Cerberus gave off a feral growl towards me.

 _ **{The Master was right about you. You're an unrepentant, self-centered, arrogant little [Gamer] who cares not for what he destroys or who he hurts.}**_ the guttural voice said, its voice filled with condescension and disgust.

...

Feeling my blood pressure start to rise, I frowned at the monster.

"Your 'Master' seems to think he knows me. Who the hell is he, anyway?" I asked, wondering who felt entitled enough to have such an opinion about me.

 _ **{A petulant pup who deserts his pack to pursue a life of excitement doesn't deserve to hear of the Master's name. You only deserve to be held against the laws of nature.}**_ the Cerberus mocked, stopping in its circling to take up a stance and snarl at me threateningly.

"...'laws of nature', huh?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows together as I stared hard at the overgrown mutt's eyes.

Reaching towards my waist with my right hand, I grasped the handle of my sword before giving it a good jerk and tearing it cleanly from its sheathe.

Holding my sword at my side, I prepared myself...

 **{{{ROAR}}}**

The fight was on.

Charging towards me, the Cerberus attempted a head-on attack.

Waiting for the beast to get within 40 feet of me, I bent down and leaped up and over the Cerberus's charge. I gave it a little more effort to make sure that the beast wouldn't be able to snap at me while I was in the air.

Flipping and angling myself downwards, I aimed for the beast's rear left leg.

The Cerberus tried to turn around in order to get away from my attack, but my sword found its mark. The only problem was that the ice that covered the Cerberus was a lot tougher than I thought it would be, and thus I only barely managed to cut through to the meat of the leg.

Looking at the dog's HP, I saw that I did around 200 damage with that hit.

That's not **bad** , per se. It just means that this will take a little longer than I'd like if I continue like this.

Leaping away from the Cerberus, we both seemed to be trying to get some space. Turning around, I noted that we were stopped about 50 feet from each other.

"That ice is a bit annoying..." I commented, grasping the hilt of my sword in both hands and settling into a 'ready' stance.

 _ **{After the Master's ritual was complete, I was allowed to absorb energy from the ice doll. This power will allow me to bury you, [Gamer].}**_ the beast responded, making me quirk my eyebrow at it in confusion.

"So...you're admitting that you **need** that power to fight me, is that right?" I mocked.

At that, the head in the middle, the one with blue eyes seemed to start gathering energy in its maw before aiming its head at me. Opening its mouth, a ball of ice that was only slightly smaller than I am shot out of its 'filthy pie-hole'.

Dashing to the left to dodge the projectile, I heard it crash into the floor behind me and shatter.

Changing direction, I dashed straight at the beast.

Seeing me approach, the Cerberus attempted to swipe at me with its right claw. Jumping up towards its right head, I dodged the icy appendage.

The Cerberus seemed to try to crane its middle head to snap at me whilst its right head reeled back to get away from me. However, I managed to reach out with my left hand and grab onto one of its disgustingly yellow front fangs. Bracing my feet against the bottom of the right head's jawline, I jumped off while keeping a hold on the fang.

The centrifugal force of my action caused me to flip around and on to the top of the right head's snout. Releasing my hold on the fang and planting my feet onto the snout, I jumped backwards and landed onto the Cerberus's back.

Raising my sword up while pointing the tip of the blade at the beast's spine, I stabbed downwards with both hands on the hilt of the sword.

 **{{{ROAR}}}**

The Cerberus roared as my sword made it past the icy layer of protection it possessed and sank into the meat of its back.

Ripping my sword out, I was hit in the face by a plume of black smoke pouring out of the wound.

Stabbing my sword back down, I managed to lodge it into the monster's back before it started to try and shake me off.

Holding onto the sword, it was fairly simple to keep my balance whilst the beast began romping around the room like an out-of-control bull at the rodeo.

 _ **{Get off of me, you infernal coward!}**_ the beast bellowed as it continued persistently in its efforts to get me away from the one spot where it couldn't do anything about me or my actions.

"So, first I'm **arrogant** , and now I'm a **coward**? Are you just pulling insults out of your ass?" I replied, not having any trouble at all with the current state of this fight.

Suddenly, though, the beast did something that proved it was smarter than the Beta Cerberi.

It began to roll over.

Unsheathing my sword from the beast's spine, I jumped up into the air the moment I noticed the beast turning to the side in its run. I managed to get off before it actually started to roll onto its back.

Flipping in mid-air, I used [Air Jump] to rocket down at the beast's now exposed belly.

At the same time, I brought out my **[Twice Critical]** and activated [Boost].

I wasn't even going to bother wasting time here...

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Smaller Chamber (Lavinia POV)**

 **...Same time...**

As I was laying on the ground, recovering from the feeling of having my soul be ripped out of my body piece by piece, I stared happily at the familiar visage of Demi, the greatest friend I've ever had in my life.

Looking back on it, ever since I was 11-years old, she's been there.

Protecting me. Fighting with me. Assisting me.

Even just being there as someone trustworthy and supportive enough to talk to about my personal problems...

Sighing, I squeezed the icy hand that felt all too warm in my own with a smile on my face as I relished the company of **[Absolute Demise]** once again.

Thinking back on what all has happened since I woke up in that cave, I distinctly remembered the tension and turmoil I felt when I was staring down the blonde-haired pervert after he had defeated the two goliaths in the upper cavern.

I've never felt so silly in my life, especially considering how much I seemed to think my 'trust' meant to other people. Even now, it still feels rather shocking to hear someone basically say that pretty much anything I did wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

But, he didn't seem to think anything of it. If anything, he acted like he was an adult and was simply explaining how the world works to a carefre-...no, a **spoiled** child.

There's no way, after all, that someone who was born with such a rare and powerful **[Sacred Gear]** , and had joined one of the most famous organizations of Magicians on the face of the planet at such a young age without knowing too much magic to begin with couldn't be at least a **little bit** spoiled.

Though, hearing such words being said to me, it made me think a bit on whether or not my favorable treatment has made me feel like I should be considered important in the eyes of a stranger in such a strenuous situation...

He also hit the nail on the head concerning my feelings at the time. I had felt so hopeless and useless, relying on a stranger's help to get my **[Sacred Gear]** back. It was the main reason I snapped. It just seemed too convenient that a kind soul like him would show up at my hour of need and help me out of the goodness of his heart with absolutely no ulterior motives.

That was also the first time anyone had ever called me 'weak' in a non-arrogant way. It felt a little humiliating to be told to 'shut up, stop making a scene and just let someone else do all the work'.

However, despite it making me feel a little sour in my stomach, it also felt a lot like how my father would talk whenever something dangerous was happening. Mom had always said that men have a natural instinct to step up and assume authority in dangerous situations, but my father was the one who showed me first-hand exactly **why** men feel that natural instinct.

Despite being a smug little brat, Douglas definitely seemed to clearly understand the situation that I was in. He was able to grasp exactly what needed to be done and he decided that it would be easier for him to help if he simply stepped up to make the decisions.

I think that **that** was the real reason why my decision on whether or not to withhold any form of information or my decision on whether or not to trust him didn't really matter. He already figured out most of the details early on and understood that I wasn't in a position to refuse his help.

I, on the other hand, had mistakenly treated him like a novice Magician. I assumed I held all the cards, all of the critical information pertaining to our situation and that I would be able to control the situation from behind the scenes.

I never did any of that with a malicious intent, of course. I've just learned that it's best to err on the side of caution when it comes to strangers.

...

...'Even though the world is a shitty place, it's still our home'...

That phrase **really** struck a chord inside of me. It made it seem like the guy I was looking at wasn't really a stranger anymore.

...

"Demi...I wish my little brother wouldn't act so smug with me..." I muttered, my pouting tone reaching my **[Sacred Gear]**.

Even though she couldn't exactly make facial expressions, I could feel the confusion radiating off of her.

After all, I've never had a **biological** little brother.

"That blond boy with blue eyes. He helped me so much...it may have been a random comparison...but if I were to picture what my little brother would be like...Douglas would be it." I explained, shifting slightly as I relaxed against the cold ground.

Demi didn't seem to mind my lack of any meaningful explanation as her crystalline eyes just stared at me.

*clap* *clap* *clap*

I felt my heart nearly stop in shock when the sound of clapping echoed inside of the tiny chamber we were in. Turning my head quickly to look over in the direction of the door where the sound originated from, I saw who had made it.

With black hooded over-coats obscuring most of their bodies from view, I watched as the skinny masculine form of a teenage boy clapped his hands whilst a short but curvaceous female's form stood beside him with her hands clutching at a black magic staff with a four inch wide clear jewel in the shape of a star nestled firmly on the end of it.

 **(Note: I'm unoriginal as fuck when it comes to the outfits. They're wearing the Organization XIII Coats from the Kingdom Hearts series.)**

The most disconcerting thing about their coats, though, were the hoods. I couldn't make out any details of their faces due to it seeming like shadows were wrapping around the opening where their heads should be visible from in order to protect their identities.

"That's just precious, Lavinia Reni. The idea of being **his** 'older sister', is simply adorable." a snarky teenage male's voice spoke as the masculine dark figure walked forward in his black boots. Holding his right hand out, a black longsword materialized out of thin air into his open palm before he closed his fist around the weapon.

Demi began trembling in an effort to get up right beside me. She was obviously feeling weak, but was willing to do everything she could to defend me from the obvious threat that these two entities clearly posed.

However, despite the male being the more hostile one, I could definitely feel that the female behind him held an **insane** amount of magical energy inside of her body. Easily thousands of times more than the male possessed.

Actually...she possessed **far** **more** magical power than **[Absolute Demise]** when she's at full power!

"Who...are you...?" I asked, moving to get up alongside Demi. I wasn't sure how much of a chance we would have in a fight, but it's better than doing nothing and simply letting them do whatever they want with us.

The male stopped as we stood up. Cocking his head, though, I was caught completely off-guard by the female casually swinging her staff towards Demi.

"Demi!" I shouted, sending her a mental command to move away from the spot she was on in a desperate move to try and save her from what I thought would be a devastating attack considering her current condition.

Erecting a barrier of ice around me, like she knew what would happen, I watched as Demi was effortlessly blasted back by the outrageous amount of force generated by the woman's halfhearted action.

Flying through the air, Demi crashed hard into the metal slab she had been imprisoned on for the past three weeks.

Hearing a feminine giggle, I watched helplessly as the female raised her gloved right hand and wiggled it seemingly randomly in the air. However, feeling currents of magical energy start to circulate, I saw the nails attached to the chains that had been used to imprison her once rise in the air as they were firmly ensnared in the wake of the currents.

With a swift flick of her wrist, the nails shot forward and impaled Demi in the same exact places where they were originally located.

"The stupid ice doll has been re-apprehended, my most adorable Master~!" the female spoke, performing a goofy salute towards the male as he nodded his head at her.

"Well done. Now, be a dear and get rid of this barrier for me." he spoke, tapping the butt of his sword on Demi's last show of defiant will.

...

What was going on here!?

Who **are** these people!?

 **Why** are they after Demi and I!?

Why do I feel so **helpless** right now!?

After going through so much to save Demi, I've been forced to watch as my best friend was imprisoned effortlessly in front of my very eyes!

"W-...wha...why...why are you...?" I tried to speak, my words being caught in my throat as I watched the female merrily skip towards the only protection I had against these people.

Raising her hand again, the female primed her index finger and...

*flick*

...instantly shattered the barrier in an instant. Shards of ice flew past my body harmlessly as I felt a small magical current forming in front of me to act as a shield, created no doubt by the woman who had just destroyed the wall of ice.

The female seemed completely ecstatic about having completed the task given to her as she hastily turned and saluted to the male again.

"There you go, Master~!" she spoke giddily, like a child who had just did a good deed. The male just nodded again before reaching up with his left hand and...

...patting the female on top of her hooded head.

"Eheheheheh~..." the woman giggled in a shy but happy manner.

...

Looking over, I saw Demi now struggling against the chains, trying to break free in order to get to me.

I could feel every single ounce of fear that she felt, and I could tell that she was **horrified** right now.

It's...not a feeling I'm used to her giving off...

...it made me feel sick to my stomach.

Removing his hand from the girl's head, the male turned to me and chuckled.

"I'd guess we have about three or four minutes before that jackass kills the distraction." he said with a suggestive tone, walking towards me again...

Douglas...

...

... **help**...

* * *

 **(((Warning)))**

 **(((SERIOUS SHIT AHEAD!)))**

 **(((SERIOUS SHIT AHEAD!)))**

 **(((SERIOUS SHIT AHEAD!)))**

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Boss Chamber (Douglas POV)**

 **7:53 – 3 Minutes Later...**

"Ngh!" I grunted as I jerked on the [Chain] that I had attached to the bottom of the Cerberus's single remaining head.

Following the tug, the head slammed into the ground.

Before the beast could try to rise, I thrust my sword deep into its left eye socket, causing a deep growl to emanate from the beast's last throat.

 **{Gggggrrrrrrrr...}**

 _ **{Well...the Master wanted me to buy time...I hope that was enough...}**_ the beast seethed, the head I had stabbed falling to the ground as the beast drew its last filthy breath.

...

Wut?

Pondering on what exactly this 'Master' person could be doing that would require having this beast distract me, I jerked my sword free of the corpse of the Cerberus.

The beast slowly started to dissolve into black smoke as I took a deep breath to calm down my racing heart.

The stupid dog definitely touched a nerve or two with its off-handed comments, especially going so far as to call me 'arrogant'.

I could accept the other insults, since they were true in a way, but how the hell have I acted 'arrogant'?

...

Suddenly, a golden screen popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** _ **-Escort Lavinia Reni Safely (FAILED)  
**_ **-Defeat 'Alpha Cerberus' (COMPLETED)  
** **-** Fight '?'

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Compliment Lavinia Reni (5/5) (COMPLETED) (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _-'?''_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
 _ **-Ally: Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _ **-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)**_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

 **WHAT!?**

Turning my head towards the small doorway that lead to the chamber where I had left Lavinia, my blood felt like it had frozen again as I watched the door get swung open from the inside.

Sprinting out of the room at a breakneck pace, was a teenage male similar to my size wearing an all too familiar black coat that, throughout all of gaming history, has only ever been worn by some of the most **convoluted** and **egotistical** antagonists to have ever existed.

The part that scared me, though, wasn't the familiar coat...

...but the sight of that coat being drenched in a dark red liquid.

The male ran directly across the room, and straight out the wide open doorway that led to the staircase up.

I would've ran after him...but as I looked back over to the open doorway to the smaller chamber where Lavinia was, I could see more red liquid.

...

No...

Kicking off into a sprint, I ran towards the door, constantly screaming to myself that this is not happening...

It's not happening!

IT'S NOT HAPPENING!

 **IT'S NOT HAPPENING!**

...

...it's...it's...happening...

With the translated metal slab having the body of a lifeless doll of ice impaled onto it, it was obvious she had no more defense.

With her intact but discarded clothing being strewn about the floor, it was obvious she had no more decency.

With binds of ice holding her against the wall like an eagle spreading its wings, it was obvious she had no more choice.

With white liquid seeping out from the inflamed spot between her legs, it was obvious she had no more purity.

With red liquid flowing freely from several deep gashes along her legs and arms, it was obvious she had no more strength.

With a spike of ice...running...through...her face...

...it was obvious she had no more life.

The golden hair, flowing down her sides and back, only brought more attention to the eyes that can never see the light of day again.

Numb shock filled every cell of my body as my knees felt like jelly. Dropping to the ground, the calves of my thick pants started soaking up the blood coming from one of the nicest and most beautiful girls I had only been able to start forming a friendship with.

Lavinia Reni...was dead.

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **...**

 **I'm not going to be funny here, because I firmly believe that what I just wrote deserves respect.**

 **She may just be a fictional character in an amateur's FanFiction, but I finally realized, even just a tiny bit, how much weight a pen can have.**

 **EDIT 10/12/2017: Sorry if I spoiled anything for people who like twists and dark scenes to pop up out of nowhere! I'll try to think of something better for any time in the future if I bring in a dark theme like this, but this Chapter is done and over with for me!**

 **Should anyone wish to Review or PM me concerning any complicated feelings you're having, go right ahead. I can also understand if you wish to stop reading the story due to a dark theme being added to it. It will remain mostly positive, but bad things happen.**

 **At the time of finishing this chapter...**

 **671 Favorites.**

 **873 Followers.**

 **276 Reviews.**

 **78,346 Views.**

 **Thank you so much for reading thus far, and for any amount of support or criticism you've shown. I understand that there are many things that I do that some may not like, and that there are many things I _could_ do that would make some like it even more.**

 **Please stay tuned for next chapter, you lovely band of internet peoples!**


	15. Chapter 12: First Encounter

**Thanks for everyone who is continuing to read, I hope you can find some level of enjoyment from this Chapter, and a special thank you to everyone who Reviewed (even if it's to say that you're gonna stop reading).**

 **I will give an answer to one of the Guest Reviews here, mainly because it won't contain spoilers of any sort, so if you're not interested then go ahead and read the chapter. I really do wish that these people would get an account, though, so that I could just PM them directly. I understand that there are a few problem-children out there who abuse the service, but I always try to at least keep it tame.**

* * *

 _ **The Critic**_ **: There are a few key points that I used for my logic in Douglas not holding the blackmailing against Lavinia.**

 **1\. Think seriously for a moment about how she probably felt about her _entire_ _situation_ , as both a person, Magician, and a Longinus wielder. She probably has enough common sense to not blindly trust anyone, especially some random Magician/Swordsman that just happened to show up when she really needed help, even if her life depends on it. If she just let her guard down without any hesitation, then this random stranger she happened to meet in her time of need _could_ have taken advantage of that and did something horrible to either her or her Sacred Gear. Thus, when she found a chance to get some leverage and make him feel forced to tell her the truth, she took it.**

 **2\. The orb wouldn't have broken anyways, even if she did try to smash it. That pretty much takes almost all of of the steam out of the blackmailing. Just for that fact alone, you could consider the whole situation as Lavinia making a scene and Douglas laughing at her on the inside due to the fact that she was threatening to break an unbreakable object, that she needs just as much as he does in order to go rescue her friend, in order to get him to take her seriously.**

 **3\. Douglas explained that he isn't so forgiving when people threaten him for shits and giggles. If they feel like they _need_ to threaten people, or they're extremely uneasy and do it out of desperation, then he is _more_ _willing_ (it's not completely guaranteed, despite what you see)to forgive them. I've shown the difference already if you compare his overall reaction to Rossweisse to his reaction towards Akeno.**

 **4\. Douglas had more leverage on Lavinia than she had on him, but he's not anxious enough to just go blabbing about how he could kill her or just steal the orb back easily in order to appear superior. She didn't have any power whatsoever in that little exchange, but in the spirit of politeness (since he wanted her to be his ally in the future) and not showing his hand so easily (because it's fun to watch people squirm in a conversation), Douglas allowed her to act like she had enough leverage to be making threats. It simply wouldn't matter in the end no matter what she did.**

 **5\. There's a world of difference between just not wanting to engage in friendly conversation with someone who threatens or blackmails you like that (like with Akeno, for which I believe you left a Review praising Douglas for not giving into her 'hotness' and forgiving her immediately because boobs), and leaving them to die in a monster-infested cave system. The first situation means that the person in question will feel bad that you don't want to be friends with them, the second could leave quite a sour taste in the mouth because you realize that they're depending on you for help and died because you decided to be stubborn. Sure, it's fun to make other people squirm as they try to grovel at you for forgiveness, but doing so doesn't exactly make you appear as someone who just wants to help.**

 **6\. Lavinia brought up the idea that she might turn around and stab him in the back when they got back her [Sacred Gear] in a hypothetical way only, in order to try and find out (if not simply test) whether or not Douglas would trust her to not do so, and _why_ he would trust her. She wasn't actually contemplating it, but she thought Douglas simply hadn't considered the idea that her betraying him was possible, due to him not treating her with any amount of suspicion from the very start. She confused Douglas's treatment of her as 'him trusting her' or 'him not comprehending the idea that betrayal happens in the real world'. There was no legitimate reasoning as to _why_ she would betray someone, but when your emotions are running rampant, do you really consider every action and word you speak to be perfectly reasonable?**

 **7\. The conversation would have been dragged out much longer if I had Douglas being difficult when it came to brushing it off and moving on. Would you really want to read a bunch of back-and-forth dialogue where Douglas is just constantly refusing to forgive her for doing anything unsightly when she was in such a desperate situation? I think it would grow old rather quickly. Plus, it would kind of contradict how he acted towards Rossweisse in the beginning.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: First Encounter**

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Smaller Chamber (General POV)**

 **8:12 AM – 17 Minutes Later**

*step*

*step*

*step*

Trudging slowly up the steps of the staircase, Douglas numbly shuffled his feet whilst maintaining the grip in both of his hands with no small amount of gentleness, considering what he was dealing with. With his dull expression locked on the stairs in front of his feet, it seemed like he wasn't even paying attention to the world around him as he kept focusing on his task. However, it was also obvious that his mind was wandering any which way it wanted to at the same time.

*step*

*step*

*Ccchhh*

Giving a mild tug with his left hand, he pulled on the cold icy hand of the **[Absolute Demise]**. As it grated against the stairs, it was pulled along on the ground with very little difficulty.

*step*

*step*

Grasping onto the clothed leg that was attached to the body resting on his shoulder, Douglas kept a firm hold on Lavinia's battered corpse as he took another few steps.

*step*

*step*

*step*

*Ccchhh*

All this time, Douglas's mind replayed several events that had happened in the last few hours...

* * *

 _ **Flashbacks (Douglas POV)**_

 _"DEMI!"_

 _Hearing the scream of a terrified woman, I responded quite admirably..._

 _"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

 _Shooting up from my sitting position, I drew my sword and held it high in the air whilst screaming like a banshee in the pale 'blood moon' light._

 _"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

 _The female responded to my incoherent screaming with her own squeal of terror when she saw some random dude standing over her with a sword raised above his head, ready to strike and screaming like a madman._

 _"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

 _"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

* * *

*step*

*step*

*step*

* * *

 _"Well~?" she asked, her voice decidedly more playful than it was a few minutes ago. I just looked away._

 _"9/10." I commented, trying to sound nonchalant._

 _Chancing a glance at her, I saw her cheeks looking a bit pink whilst a content smile rested on her lips._

 _"How do I get a 10/10~?" she replied. I decided to finally knock a bird out of the sky with my response._

 _"A name."_

 _..._

 _"O-Oh, right. Sorry, Douglas." she just chuckled, probably expecting me to say something corny like 'lose the clothes' or something like that._

 _Holding out her right hand for a hand-shake, she smiled at me._

 _"My name is Lavinia." she greeted._

 _Reaching my hand out as well, I grasped her hand firmly in mine and looked up into her eyes._

 _"A pleasure." I replied._

* * *

*step*

*Ccchhh*

*step*

* * *

 _"Well, I admit that this might not be one of the most comfortable ways to get up there. But, I'd rather not invite the risk of being in those caves and the Wolves deciding that it would be a good time to gang up on us. I can promise you, that this [Chain] won't break from something as simple as this. And, if anything happens, I'll at least make sure that you'll be safe." I attempted to reassure her as I repeated my process of creating a new anchor to continue walking up the side of the cliff._

 _Lavinia just took a deep breath._

 _"O-Okay...i-if you're this confident...then I guess. N-Now that I think about it, this is the f-first time I've really g-gotten a good look at you..." she responded, choosing to focus on my face instead of the ground that was steadily getting further and further away._

 _"Oh, my ugly mug, huh?" I replied jokingly. She just frowned slightly._

 _I'm a little glad that she's being very co-operative with me, but that feeling is a little over-shadowed by the fact that her mood seems to have soured slightly._

 _"It's not ugly at all. It's a little boyish...and cute. You look almost like you could be..." she spoke, though she obviously seemed to get a little embarrased around the end of her second sentence._

 _I got a little curious, and I also assumed that this would be a good way to keep her mind occupied while I climbed._

 _"Like I could be...what?" I asked._

 _..._

 _"...my little brother." she finished, her cheeks glowing with color._

* * *

*step*

...

*step*

...

...

*step*

...

* * *

 _"Talking down to me like that...you definitely don't seem to care much about your own well-being." Lavinia said, an air of disbelief surrounding her. I just smirked._

 _"I'm just not gonna sit here and waste time trying to get a stranger to trust me. The world will keep spinning no matter what, so we all just need to accept that our decisions don't mean all that much." I replied, waving my hand through the air dismissively._

 _Lavinia just sighed before standing up._

 _"Hearing that just makes me feel like you weren't hugged enough as a child." she teased weakly, though it almost felt like she **actually** gave consideration to such a thought._

 _"I probably wasn't. But, I find it strangely comforting to think like that. It makes a lot of sense to me. It makes me feel like, even though the world is a shitty place, it's still our home. It's not gonna sink into the realm of darkness just because one of us is having a bad day." I shrugged, watching as Lavinia gently lifted the blue orb in her hands to be level with her eyes and stared into it like it was some sort of crystal ball._

 _"...'still our home'...?" she muttered, her sapphire irises seeming to stare past the orb and through the wall on the other side of the cavern._

 _Sighing again, the older girl smiled as she looked down at me._

 _"Well, now I feel like an idiot. I went off and had a temper-tantrum, with almost nothing to show for it!" she remarked, showing a slightly embarrassed face._

* * *

...

...

Looking towards the corpse, Douglas's lips quirked into a small smile.

*step*

*step*

*step*

*Ccchhh*

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib – Living Room (General POV)**

 **...Same Time...**

Sitting on a leather-bound chair in front of the flat-screen TV in his friend's house, Cameron was enjoying some leisurely down-time by playing on a 'Nintendo GameCube'.

What game was he playing?

"OH, SUCK IT, YOU PEACHY BITCH! YOUR FUCKING BLUE SHELL JUST FUCKING MISSED ME BY A FUCKING MIL-JESUS CHRIST, GREEN MARIO!?"

One of the sickest and most twisted racing games to have ever existed. One that has ended many friendships and dreams with some of the **stupidest** and most **illogical** bullshit to ever be transcribed into game coding.

Having just been knocked off the bridge on DK's Mountain by the 'butt of nearly every Nintendo joke' zooming into him with the use of a **Star** , Cameron just sighed in frustration as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...fuck..." Cameron grunted as he was helpfully transported back onto the race track via the flying cloud with a turtle on the back of it (just so that I don't give a smart-ass reason to doubt my intelligence level and leave a Review telling me his name is Lakitu, I'll just put this little aside here. If you still do so, you officially wasted at least a few seconds of your life.)

Pushing himself across the finish line, he got **3rd Place** because of random bullshit.

Groaning, Cameron decided to save himself from getting even more stressed-out by turning off the game system and storing it all inside of his 'Inventory'.

As he was about to get up in order to go get something to eat from his friend's kitchen, he could sense a familiar presence appear right outside of his friend's house.

This instantly caused Cameron's eyes to narrow into a serious glare as he noticed all sound in the surrounding area stop as a yellow wave of energy surged outside of the window.

In the silence, only a single statement was made.

 **"...I was hoping this wouldn't happen so soon..."**

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Cave Entrance (General POV)**

 **...Same Time...**

In the middle of the stone circle beset in the ground in front of the entrance to the cave that they had just exited, the two coat-wearing figures, each roughly the same height as the other, stood very close to one another with the snow falling around them slightly heavier than it was a few hours ago. Carrying on a conversation, the two were waiting patiently for their 'guest' to arrive...

"Master, if I may, why exactly did he decide to become a [Gamer]? Didn't he have a family that loved him?" the female asked, her voice not containing a hint of playfulness or flirtation, even as she held his arm tenderly against her body and rested her head on his shoulder lovingly.

"...he was pretty much a fat, emotionally detached bird who had never set foot outside of the nest throughout his entire life. He felt like, if he **did** set foot out of the nest, he would fail at some point. He also didn't believe any amount of effort would help prepare him. So...when the chance came to approach the problem as a [Gamer], he didn't even hesitate." the male replied, his voice low and somewhat somber.

"But...his family..."

"He had a few strings of attachment, but it's like trying to raise a 3-ton steel ball a foot off the ground with only a strand of yarn. It wasn't nearly enough to make him reconsider his choice." the male cut her off, seeing what kind of argument she was going to try to make.

The female just hugged herself closer to the male as she shivered slightly.

"Don't get me wrong. He cares, he just...his dad and his sister really fucked him up when it comes to allowing it to actually **show**. He's gotten so used to being disappointed or taken advantage of that he'll only show enough to be approachable. You have to really be looking for it to be able to make out anything beyond that."

...

"So...you think he'll care about what we did to **her**?" she asked, feeling a cold pit form in her stomach from hearing that explanation.

The male simply sighed.

"Well, when he finally decides to show up, we'll see."

"...I guess we will. Don't worry, though, Master. I won't be a bad girl, no matter what happens."

"...thanks for that, sweet-cheeks."

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Cave (Douglas POV)**

 **8:20 AM – 7 Minutes Later...**

Having let go of the hand of the ice doll, I allowed the motionless frozen entity to rest against the ground near the cave wall.

Shrugging Lavinia's body into my arms, I looked again at the hole that was punctured straight through her face...

...

Smiling slightly, I gently laid her down next to her **[Sacred Gear]** that she had been so determined to rescue.

Kneeling there, I just sighed as I patted her blood-soaked golden strands of hair, getting even more blood on me than was already there from the process of freeing her, clothing her and then moving her bleeding body around so much.

It may have been a slightly gross feeling, but the numbness that had spread throughout my entire body from the freezing feeling in my chest made me care a lot less about such things.

"You know...when we were climbing that cliff, I sort of froze up when you made the remark about us being so similar in appearance that we could be considered siblings. The reason for that...I **had** an older sister once. She wasn't anything like you, though. She was self-centered, lazy, and would always ask everyone else to help her with even the smallest and simplest of tasks. She never showed a sliver of consideration for others, either. She would complain **all the time** about me needing to get a job to help support **her** kids, but would constantly have me run errands every hour of every freaking day of the year. You're **nothing** like that, however, which made me think..." I confessed, seeing a flash of Lavinia's face with an embarrassed smile appear as I stared at the hole where there was no face.

...

"If I try to picture what I would want my older sister to be like...it'd definitely be someone like you."

Giving her head one last pat, I looked down the path to the right...

...to see the opening that leads to the outside world about three hundred feet away.

"Lavinia...if you want your little brother to go out there and beat up the guy that hurt you, then stay silent..." I spoke, my voice slightly playful as I allowed the small joke that only she and I knew about to raise my spirits slightly.

...

"...alright then. Big Sis has gone through quite a bit today. She can rest easy..." I gently assured her as I stood up and started walking towards the opening.

"...little brother's gonna take out the trash..."

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] - Cave Entrance**

After walking for a minute, I was close enough to the opening to see that...

...the snow was falling again, and **much** heavier this time around.

As I stepped out of the threshold of the cave, I noticed a yellow barrier spring up behind me to cover the **entire** entrance.

...it was also sound-proof. However, with Lavinia already being as she was...

...

Turning forward, I could vaguely make out a pair of humanoid figures in the middle of the stone circle where I fought the Great Wolf.

Walking forward and into the circle, their shapes gradually became clearer. Each of them was wearing a copy of the coats worn by 'Organization XIII' from 'Kingdom Hearts'.

Well, I mean, they're not the **only** ones who wear them, but they were the first group of people to be **shown** wearing them. I personally think that they're the **most famous** for wearing them as well...

I continued walking forward as they patiently waited, both facing me, until I was about thirty feet away from them.

I could also clearly tell that the figure on the left was male...and the figure on the right was female.

It was a bit easy to tell, due to the female's body being of the 'DxD'-variety. She was also holding a black staff with a small crystal star on top...

The male, however, was the first to speak up.

"Finally. I was beginning to suspect you were either stupid enough to get lost, or that you were busy having your own fun with Princess Cow Tits's dead body~!" the male said, his voice sounding eerily familiar for some reason.

The female beside him giggled like a little girl.

"That was pretty mean, Master~! To imply that a dead body would want to 'do the dirty' with **him** is super wrong~!" the female cheerfully mocked.

I was vaguely reminded of a random girl from my Biology class in high school from her attitude.

Using [Observe] on the pair of them, I was given...

...something...

 **(((Note: First one is for the female, second one is for the male)))**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:**?  
 **Age:** ?  
 **Race:** ?  
 **Affiliation:** ?  
 **Title:**?

 **LVL:** 2,479  
 **HP:**?/?  
 **MP:** ?/?

 **STR:** ?  
 **END:** ?  
 **AGI:** ?  
 **INT:** 288,142  
 **MAG:** ?  
 **LUK:** ?

* * *

 **(((REMEMBER: In my [Gamer System], Intelligence is only a measure of how good someone is at learning new information or abilities. It does not indicate level of knowledge or wisdom with life experience. Also, for non-[Gamers], it's perfectly okay to kinda just ignore that 'Stat'. It's really not excessively important.)))**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:**?  
 **Age:** ?  
 **Race:** ?  
 **Affiliation:** ?  
 **Title:** The Master

 **Sacred Gear -**?

 **LVL:** 90  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,058 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,092.8 MP/minute)

 **STR:** 1,312  
 **END:** 1,000  
 **AGI:** 1,000  
 **INT:** 316  
 **MAG:** 1,198  
 **LUK:** 397

* * *

"...that's so fucking cliche." I remarked, immediately spotting the similarity between [The Master]'s 'Stats' and my own.

The only way for the cliche to **really** be complete, though, is for him to have all of my abilities as well...

I assume that the girl must've thought I was talking to her, because she simply gripped hard onto her staff before propping her hands on her hips. Leaning towards me like she was about to speak to a child, she appeared as if she was about to try to lecture me.

"Excuse m-!?" she spoke, her tone taking on an incredibly stubborn note.

However, [The Master] simply slapped his left hand onto her shoulder and chuckled as he shook his head.

"He's not talking about you, sweet-cheeks~. Don't interject into the conversation for something as small as that. It's not worth it. After all, I doubt that he'd have a whole lot of interest in talking to you at the moment. Why don't you just sit back and let me handle this?" the male assured her, whilst also ushering her to the side.

However, with how he spoke to the woman who was most likely superior to both of us when it came to combat ability, I presumed that he must have had some sort of leverage that he could use against her.

The woman just nodded and stepped backwards and away from [The Master] in order to give us a wide berth.

"You're just a regular peach in the orchard, aren't you?" I asked, indicating how he spoke to the girl.

[The Master] just turned back to me once he was sure that the female had obeyed his order.

"I try to be. Her strength, body and mind are all incredibly useful, but her overall personality is rather temperamental. And childish." he answered.

I could only see the female bop her head lightly with her staff like she was acknowledging the insult.

...

Now, what super-strong female in 'DxD' is **famous** for acting like a child...and uses a stereotypical 'magic staff'...?

Her height also seems about right. She's definitely short in stature with some child-like proportions...

Her way of speaking seemed...'over-the-top' as well...

"She's also rather trigger-happy. She'd rather blow someone up than try to reason with them if they show signs of being an enemy." he continued, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, that's also one of the reasons I adore her so much..." he sighed, to which the female just giggled and swiveled her torso left and right in a very 'cutesy' fashion.

"Yeah, I can't really imagine **Serafall** being low-maintenance."

...

The two coat-wearing figures immediately seemed to focus completely on me after those words left my mouth. I just lightly smirked at them as they seemed to not be taking this situation as a joke anymore.

"So...you figured it out?" the male asked, his tone seeming resigned yet impressed. The female just straightened her posture slightly.

"It's not like you made it difficult." I shrugged nonchalantly.

...

"Hm. By the way, what did you think of my handiwork~?" the male asked, his tone curious. I just raised an eyebrow.

"You talking about Big Sis? Not quite sure, to be honest..." I remarked, feeling a little happy when I called her that.

...

"...wha-Don't tell me you **only** did that to get a rise out of me?" I cut the male off as he was about to question my reaction. Both the male and female seemed to be shocked at what I said, and that I spoke in a **monotonous** manner.

Feeling the freezing sensation in my heart give a small pulse, causing a shiver of numbness to shoot all throughout my body that simply accumulated on top of the feeling that was already present, I just rested my left hand on the scabbard underneath the guard of my sword as calmly as I could.

"But...I **saw** you collapse at the doorway!?" the male shouted, with the female nodding along in affirmation.

"It's called **shock**. It's a short-lived reaction, at best. I've never felt any particularly strong feelings concerning things like **rape** and **murder** before. Seeing it in front of me was shocking, but now I only feel cold. Cold and numb. I'm not quite sure if it's genuine anger or not, but it certainly put a damper on my overall mood..." I replied, noticing that it seems I was right.

They were only doing it to spite me.

"Wow...I didn't think it was possible for a **human** to be neutral concerning situations like these. To not care all that much for the girl you call your 'older sister' having been raped and murdered..." Serafall stated, her voice sounding slightly awed yet disgusted at the same time.

"I don't remember ever caring about your opinion, though?" I replied bluntly, guessing that she would stay her hand since it seemed that her superior wanted to speak with me.

...that and I kind of wanted to spit in her face for obviously helping the male. If she was going to kill me, then so be it. I'd rather go down knowing that I didn't give any ground to her out of fear of her strength in a situation where she fucked with me first.

"So...you're saying that I wasted my time on her? That you just...don't care all that much?" the male asked, his voice coming out as a low growl.

I just shrugged.

"If we're talking about the rape and murder being done for the sole purpose of provoking a reaction from me, then yes. You **did** waste your time. You also expended quite a bit of effort. I will, however, take **great** **care** to deal with you all the same regardless." I answered, reaching up with my right hand to place it on my sword.

I'm not exactly sure whether or not Serafall is going to do anything at this point, but I figured that it really wouldn't even matter if she did. I wouldn't be able to do anything except die pitifully against an opponent like her.

However, my sights were trained on [The Master].

After all...

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** _ **-Escort Lavinia Reni Safely (FAILED)  
**_ **-Defeat 'Alpha Cerberus' (COMPLETED)  
** **-** Fight [The Master]

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Compliment Lavinia Reni (5/5) (COMPLETED) (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _-Save '?' and '?'_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
 _ **-Ally: Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _ **-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)**_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

"You...don't you realize that **you** locked her in that sound-proof room!? She was **raped** and **murdered** because of **YOU**! WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD TRY TO SHRUG THAT OFF!?" the male shouted, holding his right arm out and summoning a bastard sword with a shiny black blade.

Using [Observe] on the weapon...

* * *

 **+Enchanted Steel Sword - Rarity: Uncommon  
** **-Price (Selling): Can't Sell  
** **-Type: Sword  
** **-Power: +20 STR  
** **-Durability: 15,989,524/16,000,500  
** **-Enchantment Slots: 16/16  
** **-+Enchantment Types:  
** **-x16 Durability Master Enchantments (+16,000,000 Durability)**

* * *

Yet more evidence for the cliche...

Unsheathing my own weapon, showing the silver blade of the **Enchanted Steel Sword** , I just gave him a dull glare. I also took the opportunity to put my sheathe back into my 'Inventory', since I doubt that I'd have any need of it in this fight.

"The world has, is, and always will be a shitty place, **idiot**. I certainly didn't help the situation at all, but sometimes bad things just happen. Nobody is **ever** **happy** when they do, but the world keeps spinning. Get over yourself." I said as I grasped my sword in both arms and took a proper stance.

Serafall seemed to look towards the male. Considering I couldn't see their expressions, there was very little indication concerning what sorts of things they were feeling at the moment.

"Master...please...don't be upset." Serafall spoke in a soothing, yet distressed manner.

Taking a closer look at the [The Master], I could see the blade in his hand shaking as he held it out to his side.

...

"... **I put in the effort** , **I did my fucking part...and you just throw it back in my face**..." he spoke, no trace of playfulness anywhere in his voice.

I've pissed off [The Master].

...

"...fine. I won't waste time trying to drag this out. **Leave us be**." [The Master] spoke, turning his hooded head slightly to the girl in question.

Serafall just did a silly salute, before waving her staff at the ground.

Summoning a green magic circle underneath her feet, she seemingly teleported away from the area...

...I **would** assume that I just got extremely lucky, but if my suspicions are right...

"You **at least** want to fight me in order to avenge her, right? Then let's go!" [The Master] shouted as his dark form charged toward me.

Kicking forward at the same time, I also charged towards him.

Swinging our swords at the same time...

*CLANG*

...our swords met halfway between us as I felt...

...that this guy was stronger than Cameron.

OKAY, HE'S A LOT STRONGE-!?

"Ngh!" I grunted as I pushed to the left with my sword and dodged to the right, deflecting the black blade away from me enough in order to get away from it.

My opponent reacted **very quickly** and swung in a rising slash at me with his deflected sword. I brought my sword up to block an-!

*SHIIIIIIINNN*

Pushing up, I parried the blow before slashing downwards quickly at my enemy's exposed arm. He released his left hand from the grip of his sword and maneuvered it to where I'd be hitting...

In an instant, something green materialized on the back of his left hand.

*Clang*

Having crashed my sword against the green object on the back of [The Master]'s hand, I felt a powerful vibration travel through the handle of the sword into my hands.

However, I didn't have any time to recover.

Quickly angling my sword, I barely managed to block against the sideways slash that he took when I exposed myself to try and hurt him quickly. He actually did the parry correctly, so he swung his sword at the same time as my sword hit his 'shield'. Scraping along the edge of my blade, the sound of 'ringing steel' resounded sharply throughout the surrounding area as his sword skimmed over my own.

Taking a few steps back from him to try and analyze the situation I'm in, I only heard a disappointed chuckle emanating from the shadows covering his face.

"Heh, all that training and I'm **still** not able to cut you down instantly. I knew you'd learn how to fight pretty quickly, but whoever taught you really went the extra mile to condition you to try to not get hit, no matter what." he grumbled, not sounding the slightest bit irritated.

Focusing on trying to learn as much as I could about him in this little moment of respite, I looked down at his left hand...

Covering the back of his left hand, was an **emerald green** **gauntlet** that had a **red gem** embedded in it.

Noticing where I was looking, [The Master] raised his left hand up to seemingly look at it himself.

"Yep. I've got one too. A **[Twice Critical]**." he spoke, his tone sounding rather smug.

...

...I was **not ready** for today.

"Fair enough, I suppose..." I mumbled, donning my own **[Twice Critical]** on my left hand.

...

Cameron, hopefully everything you taught me will be enough for me to do what I need to do. This guy doesn't seem like the type who cares about 'holding back'.

I'm really gonna need to have a talk with you when it comes to not fucking lying to me about 'not holding back' or shit like this, though...

Because this, **THIS** , is the kind of shit that spawns from you not telling me **SHIT**!

With about ten feet between us, we both charged at each other again.

Swinging upward, my blade was parried to the side with his gauntlet. He thrust his own sword at my left shoulder, to which I batted his sword away with my own gauntlet. I twirled my sword in my hand quickly before thrusting it at his stomach...

*CHICK*

...to which my sword met his gauntlet **again**. Swinging upwards to try and at least get his face whilst also bringing my own gauntlet down to shield my chest, I only felt the hardness of his gauntlet against my sword as it was brushed away.

However, the problem came when he spun his sword around in his hand before bashing at my gauntlet with the pommel.

*BANG*

Lifting my left leg up after feeling my upper body shake from that blow, I kicked at the side of his right knee. I'm not sure if he just didn't see it coming, but the blow connected.

*Krrrrk*

"Gah!" he grunted, taking a step back to recover himself. I also took a small step back to recover before rushing forward again while holding my sword parallel with the edge of my gauntlet.

Slashing down towards the left, my sword hit his gauntlet as he tried to swing his sword around in his right hand to attack at my exposed right side.

Moving my feet rapidly whilst spinning my torso, I pushed both his sword and upper body away from me as I spun on my feet and swung my sword at his exposed torso.

*Schlick*

*Psssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh*

* * *

 **-[The Master]-  
** **HP:** 4,327/4,640 (+1,058 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,092.8 MP/minute)

* * *

"SHIT!" [The Master] cursed as the moderate slash wound I inflicted on the right side of his rib-cage sprayed blood into the air. Bending his legs, he jumped up into the air away from me as his left hand went to the wound.

As a small green light shown from behind his gauntlet, I could tell that he just healed himself with the healing spell that I know...

...FUCK!

"...this fight just got **a whoooole lot longer**..." I groaned, knowing just how long fights can go on for when 'unlimited healing' is involved.

Dark Souls was bad enough, with all the **rolling** and the **blocking** , but at least in those fights you had a **limited number of healing items**.

However, this is some 'Jack Sparrow vs. Barbossa' shit!

As soon as [The Master] landed, he charged at me again. I fixed my stance and braced myself before his rushed forward with his gauntlet in front of him and his sword resting on top of his shoulder.

When he got to me, our gauntlets collided against one another in a 'bashing of shields' before he swung his sword at my left shoulder. As I pulled my gauntlet away from his to try and parry the blow, he took the chance to cock his left fist back and let loose with a punch at my chest whilst also stopping his sword mid-swing before bringing it back to his body.

*SMACK*

Feeling the cold green metal make contact with my **Wool Shirt** , I was buffeted back slightly by the force behind the blow. I raised my left arm, though, and managed to stop a downwards slash from him whilst also thrusting at his left leg with my sword.

As he tried to step away from my thrust, I pushed against his sword with my shield. He took a shaky step back, but that was enough for me to pull my sword back roughly and swing my right foot up to his chest...

*BOOF*

Hitting him with the patented 'Sparta-kick', I knocked him completely off his feet. I immediately rushed to follow him as he flew through the air for a meter or two before landing harshly on the ground with his arms splayed out to try and break his fall.

Shifting to the right to try and make sure he can't take the opportunity to stab me, I thrust my sword down at the center of his chest.

He barely managed to swing his left hand in front of his chest to knock my sword away. While I was trying to pull back, though, he pulled his left leg up and jabbed his foot **hard** into my stomach.

*Boof*

"Ffaaaaaahhhh!" I wheezed, pulling away from him to try and suck some air into my lungs that were forcibly deflated.

Doing a backwards roll, [The Master] also got back on his feet...

...

Standing there, ten feet away from each other, I could easily understand what this fight would **eventually** come to. After all, if we both have the same equipment and abilities, then that means that this fight is... **kinda** predictable...

Even if we include 'Magic', it's just going to be wasting valuable MP that we could use to heal ourselves. Not only would it be a waste, but it wouldn't even give us a huge advantage over the other. It would just mean that we have to worry about ranged attacks and the [Chains].

The [Chains] may help make this a more **strategic** fight, but the [Arrows] spell would be a waste of time. Especially since I've already established that they're too slow to be useful against trained opponents.

Considering how fast paced this fight has been, and that I'm not as adept as Cameron when it comes to managing my 'Gamer Menu' mentally, I don't even want to **try** opening up my 'Status Screen' in order to see if any points I assign to my 'Stats' now will also affect him.

That leaves only one thing.

The **[Twice Critical]**...

This fight will inevitably come down to who uses [Boost] on themselves in the best manner...is what I would **like** to say.

The fact is, it's much simpler than that. I'm fairly certain that we both have a strategy already to deal with the other using [Boost] first.

Run away and be strictly on 'defense' for 10 seconds. Also, use healing if you need to. Then, when the opponent runs out of time, charge in and try to get them into a disadvantageous position before using [Boost] for the win.

...

Well...no time like the present.

Getting into stance as I stared at [The Master] with a focused glare, I readied myself for a **loooong fight**...

* * *

 **8:52 AM – 26 Minutes Later...**

OKAY, INCREASING MY 'STATS' DOESN'T DO ANYTHING BUT WASTE TIME!

*Clink*

*Clang*

*SHIIIIIIN*

Leaping backwards to gain some distance from [The Master]'s [Boosted] sword strike after it had skimmed along my own blade in an effort to slice at my face with his [Boosted] **2,002** **points** of 'AGI' (since I put a point in there for testing purposes), I focused on keeping my eyes on my enemy.

However, with the fact that I had leaped up about 12 feet into the air, I merely saw him leap after me with his sword drawn back.

"Hyagh!"

"Ngh!"

*Clang*

Attempting to block his downwards slash with my sword, I suffered a small cut to my shoulder as I was sent towards the ground. Focusing on angling myself so that I would land on my feet properly, I barely had enough time to react in order to jump away from the speeding green missile coming towards me, courtesy of [Air Jump].

*BOOM*

As his gauntlet made contact with the ground where I **was** standing, I saw [The Master]'s body roll forward slightly. With his forward momentum, his body flipped forward as he pushed off the ground with his gauntlet.

When his feet touched ground after his flip, he charged at me from point-blank range with another slash.

Seeing the split-instant when his 'Stats' returned to normal, I knew that I could now match him directly again.

Raising my sword up...

*CLINK*

I caught his blade on my own. Firming my stance, I kept his sword at bay with gritted teeth.

Jabbing forward with his left fist, I swung my free hand underneath my right arm to catch the punch. There was a small sting in my hand from doing so, but it was otherwise perfectly okay. We both pushed against each other's swords with our gauntlets as well, getting grappled together as we either tried to move our swords to cut the other or defend ourselves from being cut.

It eventually ended up as kind of a stalemate. Our shoulders were pushed against each other as we stood there, struggling to gain control over the grapple.

After a few seconds of doing so, however, [The Master] lifted his left foot and swung it behind my own before...

"HAH!"

"Guh!"

...tripping the both of us up. When we fell to the ground, I kept my eyes on him to see if he would take the chance to attack...

...he didn't.

At that point, I knew that the only way to not get put at a disadvantage was to follow his footsteps and GET THE FUCK UP NOW!

*Fwip*

*Fwip*

*Fwip*

Having three [Arrows of Fire] rush past my face and shoulders as I pushed myself into a forward roll to get back on my feet wasn't exactly a **pleasant** experience.

Now that I'm standing up, however, I leaped backwards to avoid the [Chain] that had been shot towards me from my right.

Flying back about 10 feet, I managed to get sight of [The Master] again as I landed on the ground. He was currently having to dispel the [Chain] and turn to face me, so I decided that I had a chance to turn this fight around.

Charging forth, I raised my sword to the side and activated [Boost], intent on trying to defeat [The Master] this time...

...despite failing the other **fifteen** **times** due to him employing the same strategies I use against me.

However, when I swung my sword as hard as I could at the male who started rushing to raise his gauntlet up to block me from slashing at his face, I barely made out the vibrant flash of light coming off of a blue-colored blade entering into the left-side of my peripheral vision before...

*CLINK*

"Now, now...I think that's quite enough, boys." a familiar voice said, its tone sounding somewhat chiding.

Turning to the left, I saw my brown-haired asshole of a friend standing there, casually gripping the toothpick that's been inside most of my bodily organs more times than I'd like to count, holding off my full-powered horizontal slash with the very tip of the point of his sword catching the side of mine on its honed edge.

Seeing the edge of my sword stop just about 6 inches from slicing into his hooded face, [The Master] also ceased with raising his gauntlet any further. The green shield seemed to almost be frozen in position near his shoulder as he turned his head to look at the person who just saved him from taking a serious hit.

"C...Cameron?" I muttered, shocked that he had stopped me...no...

...shocked that he was here...

"Yo." he smirked, flicking his sword upwards with his wrist.

*CHING*

...and causing my blade to violently fly out of my hand as I felt my wrist forcibly turned in a direction that it's **not meant** to go.

"Gah!?" I grunted as I felt my wrist snap out of alignment.

[The Master], however, simply followed the path that my sword took through the air with his eyes based on how his hood rotated to keep it in view.

Clanging against the ground after a few seconds, my sword lay firmly outside of the circular stone arena that we've been fighting on for the past half hour or so.

"... **shiiit**." [The Master] spoke, his tone sounding like he had 'gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar'.

Activating my healing spell in my left hand, I went to work on getting rid of the sharp ache that sprouted in my right wrist.

Cameron just sighed as if he was tired. He turned his head towards [The Master] and peered at him from behind his sunglasses.

"You've done your part admirably, and you've even indulged yourself quite a bit with that fight, so there's no longer a need for you to be here." he said in a blunt manner, seeming like he was trying to...dismiss him...

"Very We-Whoa whoa whoa **WHOA**! Back the fuck up, **WHAT!?** " I cut off [The Master] as I stared wide-eyed at Cameron.

Even if I don't clearly feel some sort of burning desire to crush and burn everything concerning [The Master] to the ground, I wasn't about to just **stand down** and **do nothing** to the guy that...did those things to Lavinia!

I don't want her to...

...I don't want to...

...

"Doug, shut up."

...huh?

"Cameron...I won't go into details, but get out of my way. This guy..." I tried to speak, feeling a lump in my throat as I turned to look at the hooded figure.

Why did I feel so...cold?

Why was I...so unsure?

This guy...I know that he raped and murdered Lavinia...and I don't like it...but why didn't I feel angrier...? I've...

I've just been fighting him...

...isn't that what I was...supposed to do?

"Doug... **Shut. The. Fuck. Up.** "

...

Staring at the dark void where his face was supposed to be, I gave a dull glare to [The Master] as I felt a vague sense of confusion well up from inside of me.

"You'll get another shot at him, so chill." Cameron assured me, turning back to [The Master] who was just watching all of this quietly.

After a moment, though, the hooded male simply turned around and started heading towards the edge of the terrace that we were on. He didn't say a word, though, until he got about twenty feet away from us.

Stopping, he turned and spoke, seemingly to me...

"...you care about others more than you realize, Douglas. Even if you just feel cold and numb when your friend suffers...I won't bother you for a while, so I'd suggest you take some time and reflect on your feelings. Also..." [The Master] said, though his tone was enigmatic and reserved, almost like he was arguing with himself over whether or not to say more.

As he spoke, he lifted his right hand up and casually snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, a glowing green magic circle appeared to the right of him.

The circle gave off a flash of light before I saw the form of Serafall, with her hood still on, standing behind two unconscious female bodies on the floor of the stone circle...

...the one on the left had **very familiar** silver hair cascading down to the small of her back, wearing a gray-and-pink track suit with similarly-colored sweat-pants...

...and the one on the right had a **very similar** body shape to Serafall, wearing a pristine black knee-length dress with her black hair flowing freely over her body that was probably long enough to reach down to her thighs.

...

...Rossweisse...

...and...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Serafall Sitri (Leviathan)  
 **Age:** 782  
 **Race:** Devil  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Sitri Clan, Serafall Leviathan's Peerage  
 **Title:** Devil King Leviathan

 **LVL:** 2,479  
 **HP:** ?/?  
 **MP:** ?/?

 **STR:**?  
 **END:**?  
 **AGI:**?  
 **INT:** 288,142  
 **MAG:**?  
 **LUK:**?

* * *

...Serafall?

Just then, a golden screen popped up in front of me.

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** _ **-Escort Lavinia Reni Safely (FAILED)  
**_ **-Defeat 'Alpha Cerberus' (COMPLETED)  
** **-Fight [The Master] (COMPLETED)  
** -Exit the Dungeon

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Compliment Lavinia Reni (5/5) (COMPLETED) (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _-Save 'Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul)' and 'Serafall Sitri (Leviathan)'_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
 _ **-Ally: Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _ **-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni (NULLIFIED)  
**_ _-[Campaign Quest]: The Devil Queen's Parlay - Part 1  
-[Campaign Quest]: The Valkyrie's Hero - Part 1_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

Dismissing the screen, I was about to speak before [The Master] loudly spoke up, probably to deter anyone from speaking over him or cutting him off.

"A little gift. I **was** just going to give you Serafall, but considering what I had done to Lavinia, I thought it'd help cheer you up to give you Rossweisse back again. They weren't harmed, so don't worry." he said, waving his hand through the air dismissively.

A quick check on Rossweisse's screen (since I can actually see her information) confirmed that.

However, my eyes were jumping back and forth between the unconscious body of Serafall...and the conscious body of 'Serafall'.

The standing one just giggled at me.

"Aww~! You look confused~..." she tittered, obviously seeming to not care much about helping me out of my 'confused status'.

As they scooted closer together, I saw a green magic circle appear underneath their feet, with the unconscious bodies being outside of it.

...he's getting away...

...I...

"Hey! Take off the hood!" I called out, at least wanting to know what the hooded man looked like.

Turning his head slightly, I merely saw him raise a hand up in a lazy salute...

"Nah~! Maybe next time~!"

Without another word, the two of them disappeared via a flash of light from the green magic circle that soon faded into non-existence...

...

* * *

"Cameron..." I muttered, looking back to my brown-haired friend's somewhat passive expression.

He just sighed before his sunglasses disappeared, probably going back into his 'Inventory'.

"C'mon. We should probably get these ladies out of the cold." he shrugged as he lifted his hand in the direction of Rossweisse and Serafall's unconscious bodies.

Was he...blowing me off...

I **thrust** out a hand to grab a hold of the front of his shirt. Giving a rough tug, I did my damnedest to get his attention.

"..." Cameron stopped what he was doing to turn and stare at me. His eyebrows were upturned, making him look like some schmuck who got his best friend killed and was ready to atone for it.

"..."

Standing in silence, trying to summon up the nerve to say... **something**...I eventually just sighed before letting go of him.

"Be gentle." I said as I turned and walked towards the, now unsealed, entrance to the cave...

"Sure thing." he replied, going back to carefully picking up both of the ladies off the ground with his telekinetic abilities.

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Cave**

 **8:57 – 1 Minute Later...**

...

Looking down at the corpse of the girl I tried to fight for in order to avenge, the cold... **cold** feeling that I've gotten used to seemed to fade slightly.

Was...I trying to avenge her?

Or...did I simply not want anyone to accuse me of not caring enough?

...

Kneeling down next to her, I opened up my 'Friends List'...

* * *

 _ **Flashback – 1 Week Ago**_

 _ **[ID: Puppets] – Zone 10, Area 10**_

 _Kneeling in front of the chest, I grasped the lid with both of my palms. Giving a hearty push, the lid jerked free and started lifting up..._

 _"dodododododododODODODODODODODODODO~!?"_

 _Providing the sound effect of opening up a chest from 'LoZ: OoT/MM', was my brown-haired best friend who obviously understood what class was..._

 _...even though he also didn't understand the meaning of the word 'cheesy'._

 _Ah well, it's not like I didn't appreciate it. Lifting open the lid all the way and pushing it back to rest on its haunches, I looked inside the chest to find..._

 _To find a palm-sized metal token with a design of a plus symbol surrounded by small hearts on the front of it._

 _..._

 _...uh..._

 _[Observe]?_

* * *

 **+[Resurrection Token] – Rarity: Legendary  
** **-Price (Selling): Can't Sell  
** **-Consumable  
** **-Effect: Resurrects recently dead bodies, that have been dead for up to 1 week, back to life with full HP/MP/etc. Gauges.  
** **-To use: Either possess one in 'Inventory' and die, or give as a 'Gift' to a recently deceased 'Friend'.**

* * *

 _"I was sort of wondering about something like this. I couldn't find any 'resurrection items' in the 'Store', so..." I spoke, putting the 'Resurrection Token' into my 'Inventory' and turning around to look at Cameron._

 _"Yeah, those are what most [Gamers] go for when completing these dungeons. It's done this way to keep them from stockpiling millions upon millions of these kinds of items. You have to do a certain amount of work in order to get one." Cameron replied, his tone seeming like he had lied to me on purpose earlier about not knowing what was going to be in the chest._

 _"But...couldn't they do that anyways? If you just have to complete these dungeons in order to get them, I can't imagine them being in short supply for any [Gamer] out there who's willing to grind a bit..." I remarked, thinking that there was probably some sort of catch._

 _Cameron just smirked._

 _"Not really. You can only carry up to 10 of them at any one time, and you can't take them out of your 'Inventory' like normal items. The [Game] is also designed to make it forcibly enter your 'Inventory' when you exit this dungeon after having completed it. However, the real catch is that, the more you have in your 'Inventory', the chances of getting another are cut down drastically. Your next one will only be a 50% chance to drop, with several other prizes filling in that other chunk of chance. At 10, you just cease to have any chance whatsoever of getting another until the number you have drops down."_

 _..._

 _"So..."_

 _"The [Game] isn't stupid. No [Gamer] has found out how to cheat this little system yet, since non-[Gamers] can't see or hold onto the 'Tokens' either. You also can't give it as a 'Gift' to another [Gamer] who isn't deceased and without a 'Token'."_

* * *

Adding 'Lavinia Reni' as a 'Friend', I clicked on her name in my 'Friends List'...

* * *

 **-Lavinia Reni [Grauzauberer]-**

 **+Call  
** **+Send Message  
** **+Send Picture  
** **+Send Video  
** **+Send Gift  
** **+Un-Friend**

* * *

I clicked on 'Send Gift'...

* * *

 **Gift: [Type Name of Item Here]  
** **Amount: [Type Amount of Item Here]**

 **Send Gift?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Typing in 'Resurrection Token' in the first prompt, the second one automatically took on the number '1' and became grayed out, becoming reminiscent of Rossweisse's clothing due to the rest of the screen being pink.

I clicked 'Yes' and was greeted by another pink screen popping up, along with a green one.

* * *

 **-Gift Sent!-**

 **-Lavinia Reni has been resurrected with the use of your 'Resurrection Token'!-**

* * *

 **-Inventory-**

 **+Resurrection Token – Qty: 2 – Rarity: Legendary**

* * *

Dismissing the screens, I watched the magic unfold before my very eyes...

Bathed in a dim white light, the bloody hole that took up most of her head rapidly filled itself with new flesh without rhyme nor reason, quickly becoming the face that I had grown used to seeing these past few hours. Her hair fixed itself and all the blood that had seeped into her clothing receded back into her body in a manner similar to a [Gamer]'s.

The coup de grâce, though...was when I saw the frame of the older girl gently fill itself with air as she breathed.

...

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 3

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having conquered the Dark Puppet's Temple and being trained by an elite [Gamer], it is time to put your abilities to the test against new enemies, and possibly uncover something that could change the fate of the universe!? Look out, world, it's time to see what Douglas Roland can **really** do!

 **Difficulty Level:** '4' (Deserves Attention)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Clear [ID: Create – Puppets LVL: 5] or higher at least once. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Last 15 seconds in a [Duel] with Cameron Phillips. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Train up to LVL 30. (COMPLETED)  
** **-Escort Lavinia Reni Safely (COMPLETED)  
** **-Defeat 'Alpha Cerberus' (COMPLETED)  
** **-Fight [The Master] (COMPLETED)  
** -Exit the Dungeon

 **(Optional)  
** _ **-Compliment Lavinia Reni (5/5) (COMPLETED)  
**_ _-Save 'Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul)' and 'Serafall Sitri (Leviathan)'_

 **Time Limit:** 5 days

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+4)  
-x4 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x4 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-Ally: Lavinia Reni  
 _-[Quest]: Ally Bonding - Lavinia Reni  
_ _-[Campaign Quest]: The Devil Queen's Parlay - Part 1  
_ _-[Campaign Quest]: The Valkyrie's Hero - Part 1_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch  
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks  
-Inventory Wipe

* * *

"...hrk..." I choked slightly, before raising my right hand and beating on my chest roughly. Breathing deeply, I forced down the feeling of a lit flame entering my heart, pushing away the cold atmosphere that it had been made to endure as I fought with [The Master], as I watched her cheeks slowly fill with color.

Hearing the sound of ice grating against stone, I raised my eyes to see the **[Absolute Demise]** also come back to life. It wasn't alert, by any means, but the sudden re-connection to its Mistress's soul must have caused its form to stir slightly.

Gently, I picked her body up and slung her over my shoulder. Reaching down, I gingerly grasped the ice doll's hand once again before calmly walking out of the cave...

* * *

 **[ID: Wolf Den Mountains] – Cave Entrance**

Seeing Cameron levitating both girls off the ground with nary a thought, I just sighed and shrugged the hand that was holding the ice doll. He just nodded and lifted the entity off the ground as well with his ability...

...sorry, I may want to drag you myself, but if Cameron can do this more gently than I can, then...

Shifting Lavinia into my arms, similar to how I carried Rossweisse way back when, Cameron and I set out to leave this dungeon.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib**

 **August 25, 2014 – 10:00 AM...**

After having bought a couple more rooms for my [Crib] and fitting them with beds and some simple furniture, I brought each girl into their own separate rooms and set them up in the beds.

I had a small moment of hesitation with allowing Serafall in...but Cameron simply promised me that he'd take care of any difficulties that might crop up when she comes to.

...

Having gone through the pros and cons of changing Lavinia's clothing considering she was wearing an exact copy of my own winter outfit, I decided to just take off the coat and put it back in my 'Inventory'.

I left her without a blanket, though, so that she wouldn't die in the summer heat of Japan in August.

Looking down to the floor beside the bed where I had laid the **[Absolute Demise]** , I just sighed as I remembered all the bullshit I've had to go through for these two.

...I couldn't help but smile.

However, that small moment of reminiscence was over-shadowed greatly when I looked out the door to the room to see Cameron sitting in one of the chairs in the living room.

Reaching out and lightly rubbing the living girl's head, I stood back up.

Walking out of the room and gently closing the door, I turned to the brown-haired...

...asshole. **The brown-haired asshole**.

Entering into an 'Empty ID', with him following an instantaneous moment later, I narrowed my eyes.

"Now...I've **tried** to not really think about it, but something's been **off** about you ever since you first met Rossweisse. It's like you've been...leading me along or something of that nature. You told me that you **couldn't** enter into my 'Boss ID', but you **still** managed to show up there. You also seemed like you knew that guy in the coat..."

 **"Just** _**how much**_ **have you been keeping from me, you lying sack of shit?** "

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Now, I know a lot of you are probably hating the fact that I didn't have Douglas get revenge on the rapist/murdering monster who plagues the thoughts of police officers everywhere.**

 **But!**

 **I've already had him say something as crass as, "I don't feel very strong emotions concerning things like rape."**

 **If I then just turn around and have him go full-on 'Anime Protagonist' and start screaming at the top of his lungs about how, "I WILL PROTECT MY NAKAMA/ FAMILY/ FRIENDS/ ACQUAINTANCES/ STRANGERS I'VE JUST MET WITH ALL OF MY POWER!" or "HOW DARE YOU RAPE AND MURDER THIS PERSON I'VE KNOWN FOR 3 HOURS!?"...**

 **...sorry, I don't want to be seen as wildly inconsistent. A few small problems crop up from time to time with consistency, but those are easy to correct. Most of the scenes that contain dialogue for an entire Chapter? Not so much.**

 **I'll probably also piss off a lot of people by not really portraying the rapist/murderer in a negative light. It's not like he's NOT going to be a villain in this story, and it's NOT like he's going to just get off the hook for what he does without any sort of backlash...but it's not going to be as simple as, "I do bad things because I am the Evil Dark Lord of All Negativity and Hatred! FEAR ME!"**

 **However, I don't want to limit the variety of ways I can portray an antagonist to just...people like Kokabiel or Raynare. The kind that are so arrogant, self-assured and bigoted that they never listen to anything nor believe that there's anyone who can match them in any which, way, shape, or form. The ones where, when they get hit, they scream "HOW DARE YOU, YOU PIECE OF FILTH!?" or "THAT WAS JUST A LUCKY BLOW!".**

 **He's the antagonist, but he's not just going to be there to make Douglas look like the good guy. I may suck at explaining/portraying that, but I'm gonna fucking try. Villains can have character too!**

 **...though, with how I portrayed him at the end of last Chapter, I was probably asking for all those 'generic villain' comments.**

 **Also, to anyone who I've responded to concerning your call for his blood, I've told you that I'll be painting him as the villain...I think that is better done with actions than with speech. It's also better done if Douglas can come to hate him for his own reasons, rather than just blindly trying to PROTECT HIS NAKAMA! Besides, I _tried_ to write out that fight scene with Hero vs. Villain dialogue.**

 **The end result was 'sloppy', with a capital 'W', to say the least. I couldn't even fucking follow it half the time.**

 **Douglas also isn't going to be angsty as fuck, but he IS going to have to start asking himself some of the bigger questions in life. Even if the [Game] is meant for him to have fun, does he want to treat others like they don't matter, or does he want to start openly expressing 'care' and 'affection'?**

 **Also, what exactly does he want out of life? Does he just want to 'Git Gud' and then fuck up everyone else for the rest of eternity? Or does he want to try to experience some of the things that he never felt that he _could_ in his previous life?**

 **I tried as hard as I could to make the interactions in this Chapter seem meaningful, yet understandable. I didn't want people to sit here and think that Douglas would just live for revenge or whatever, but I also didn't want people to feel like Douglas was nothing more than an incredibly bland and stereotypical 'hero' who will always save the day. That kind of stuff is bound to happen at some point or another, but I don't want to lock myself into such a simplistic mindset.**

 **Anyone who wants to leave a Review should look just slightly below this. I'm firmly aware that my decisions with where to take this story may either offend some people or downright piss some people off. Go ahead and leave a scathing Review if you want, I'll completely understand. If you just want to stop reading the story altogether, I'll understand that as well. If you want to leave a few random words that have nothing whatsoever to do with the content of the Chapter...**

 **...meh, go ahead.**

 **Thank you for reading this Chapter, and for sticking with me up to this point! This is my first semi-serious story that I've seriously put effort into, and I'm proud to have gotten this far on it alone!**


	16. Chapter 13 - The Talks

**Here's Chapter 13.**

 **I hope you can enjoy it.**

 **...**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 13: The Talks**

* * *

 **"Just how much have you been keeping from me, you lying sack of shit?"**

Standing in front of the coffee table with Cameron sitting in a chair on the other side, I asked that question with an extremely sour tone lacing my voice.

Cameron just sighed.

"From the beginning?" he asked plainly.

"Everything." I responded.

...

Taking a deep breath, Cameron just looked to me.

"I'll start with how you came into the [System]. There are a group of [Gamers] out there called the [Administrators]. They're exactly what you'd think they'd be. They handle bugs, disputes between the different classes of [Gamers], and will generally help if a [Gamer] runs into a problem that they were, through no fault of their own, **in no way prepared for**. One of them was the reason I was able to enter into your 'Boss ID'. Normally, I can't, but this was a special circumstance." Cameron explained.

I just crossed my arms as I nodded along, still glaring at him.

"Now, [Admins] can put in applications for someone to be evaluated to see if they fit the bill in order to become a [Gamer]. That's how the [System] knows to evaluate people. It used to be random...but too many people who didn't have good mindsets became [Gamers]...and then the [Hackers] were born."

...the [Hackers]...?

"Besides the odd few who were power-hungry and 'trolls', most of them were just 'normies' who were scared shitless of the [Architect]. Some all-powerful stranger who can eliminate their existence on a whim unless they 'play his game'? They tried to get strong enough to overthrow him, ended up crossing some very serious lines with the [Competitive Gamers], and that's how the [Wars] started. But, back to the applications..." Cameron explained, shedding light on why people would go out of their way to gain so much power.

...it feels like he's skipping over the juicy bits, but I'll ask later.

"Tell me if these names ring a bell...Adam, Pierce, Josh, Russell...?" Cameron prompted.

...

Why am...I **not** really all that surprised...?

"Let me guess, they're all [Gamers]?" I replied, figuring that he wouldn't be going anywhere else with this little quiz.

"Bingo. All of us pitched in and had Russell, who is an [Admin], put in the application for you to be evaluated. The reason...is actually kind of simple..."

...

"And...that would be?" I tried to prompt, but Cameron just gave a wry smile.

"You...kinda sorta...had... **late-stage cancer**. It was wiped out when you became a [Gamer], so congrats." he spoke, trying to sound dramatic before treating it like a joke.

...

"Well, thanks...I guess...it kinda feels underwhelming, though." I replied, feeling like this would've had much more impact if I had actually **known** about the cancer.

If it's **gone** **now**...then I'm fairly certain there's no reason to care that much.

"You didn't know, huh? Well, it doesn't matter anymore, you're cured. That's the main reason we brought you in." he summed up.

...

"So..." I urged him to continue. He just sighed again.

"Onto the next part...why I was so hesitant to let you know that we were responsible for bringing you into the fold. Mainly because...being a [Gamer] is a pretty rough life, in and of itself. First and foremost...you should basically assume that you'll **never** **get to be with any of your family members again**." he spoke, his tone rather somber.

...

"I...I kind of...figured." I replied, having thought about this a little bit over the past couple of days.

However, I couldn't stop a lump from forming in my throat when I thought about one person in particular.

...I guess this is goodbye for good, Mom...

"You think it's bad now...I've been playing for **millions of years**...and it seems like I can't go more than a day without thinking about the simple life I lived back then. But...well...nobody really knows what happens when a [Gamer] is deleted from the [System]. We've been led to believe that it means 'non-existence'...but maybe we're sent back? I don't know, but that's one of the two reasons why we don't fill out those applications very often. Nobody wants to be responsible for having ripped you away from your family." Cameron remarked, his tone sounding hopeful when he spoke about 'being sent back'.

...I guess...even [Gamers] who have lived for millions of years are 'still human'...

"Okay...what's the other reason?" I prompted, knowing that I'm most likely going to get depressed as fuck from listening to this and thinking about it.

However, I'd rather know than be left in the dark just for a chance to be happy like a little kid.

"The whole 'reincarnation' drawbacks. It's basically the same as being immortal. Sooner or later, any attachment you form to a non-[Gamer] is going to end with them dying. [Hardcore Gamers] are actually a kind of secluded sect of [Gamers]. We typically keep to ourselves and only form attachments within our [Guilds]."

"My wife...well, current wife, is another [Gamer] in my [Guild]. I've had non-[Gamer] wives before...but..." Cameron explained, making my eyes widen as I understood what he was trying to say.

"Camer-..." I tried to speak out, but he held a hand up to stop me.

"Remember, I'm one of the reasons Lavinia suffered." he spoke, obviously trying to respect my feelings and not waste time on his own personal life. I just sighed before glaring at him.

"You're gonna fucking introduce me, right?"

"Sure thing..." he spoke, though I could detect a hint of sadness in there as well.

Breathing for a moment, Cameron continued.

"Even though I know that's going to happen, I still tried to push you to bond with Rossweisse back then. It was kind of a joke, but I also knew that she'd help keep your mind off of any negative thoughts. **'Boobs protect against all evil'** , as they say." he explained, giving me a small grin.

I just looked towards the room to my left where Rossweisse was asleep in the real world...

...

"It's kinda cool, really. Men are pretty good at being tough and fixing problems, but you'd be surprised how calming it can be to have a loving woman in your arms. Or, if you're a little kink-Cameron..." I cut him off, glaring at him while trying to ignore the flash of heat coming from my chest.

He just smiled before frowning again as it seemed he was about to get back on topic.

"I had a few reasons spur me to keep this information away from you. When I first entered the [System], I also had a [Mentor]. Someone who was supposed to help me get accustomed to the [Game] and who was supposed to help train me so that I would be able to take care of myself. His name is Serena. He had it legally changed to that, in honor of his sister...I think. Anyways, he treated me like I was a kid. Like I shouldn't worry about anything bad ever happening." Cameron explained, though I felt like I couldn't help but want to laugh at a guy taking on the name 'Serena'...

"Laugh if you want. He's the [Guild Master] of the [Ones Guild], and was one of the top [Competitive Gamers] back in the day. He really wouldn't give a rat's ass if you wanted to laugh at him for any reason. He's beaten **me** into the dirt more times than I'd care to count. Probably up in the tens of thousands by now..." Cameron continued, not seeming to care about anyone dissing the guy.

...

"He sounds like that one anime character that is super badass...but is probably super disappointing to talk to."

"Doug, you haven't seen **a damn thing** when it comes to disappointments..."

...

Well, other than an incredibly strong desire to 'lick the frozen street pole' by meeting this 'Serena' person in order to see how disappointing he is, I'm going to go back to just listening.

"Serena...unlike me, he had this 'sixth sense' when it came to knowing if something unsavory was going down. I was...a bit too lax, perhaps. Or, you just got unlucky. Either way, I didn't go through any **excessively unpleasant** experiences for my first play-through. I thought it would work with you, but I still tried to keep an eye out for bad things happening..." he spoke, though hearing that he based this decision...solely on 'luck' wasn't exactly helping his case with me...

...that was when I saw his eyes morph.

Turning from dark brown to a familiar set of glowing red eyes with a pin-wheel shaped pattern inside both of them, I narrowed my eyes.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan?" I prompted, letting him know that I knew what those eyes were.

He nodded.

"Considering that you seemed to have some problems with Rias Gremory, I decided to...intervene. Just a bit. I used these to help soften up Sona Sitri so you have a better chance of completing your other [Quest]. I also didn't want there to be a large chance that you'd be forced to spend a whole lot of time on the [Quest]." Cameron confessed, seeming to think that I cared about completing the [Quest] on my own.

"Thanks for that, I guess. I, **honestly** , didn't have a fucking clue how I'd be able to finish that [Quest]. I'd almost think I'd have to waltz up and challenge a few of her servants to some duels. If I won, I get to stay...but if I lost then I'd help her out with her little...'birdie problem'." I replied, shrugging my shoulders as I acknowledged that he's probably saved my tail feathers, at least as far as that [Quest] is concerned.

"...'birdie problem'...? The fuck are yo...Oh! You mean Riser!" Cameron deduced, his eyes turning back to normal as he seemed to have to actually take a moment to work that out.

I just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, I've never actually read or watched 'High School DxD' before. I only know the layout of the story and characters from hearing about it from my friends." he apologized. I just sighed.

"Fair enough. It's not everyone's cup of tea."

"Well, I've only given you a little help. I softened her up a bit, so you'll still have to speak some fancy words. You can still probably do those duels, though. I sincerely doubt that girls as soft and inexperienced as they are have any real grit when it comes to combat. You've been in hundreds of life-or-death battles by now, and you fought on par for almost half-an-hour against the guy in the coat." Cameron reasoned, bringing my attention back to the conversation before.

"So...what's the other reason that spurred you to keep it secret?" I asked.

At this, Cameron's head and shoulders drooped.

"...I had a friend who became a [Gamer] around the same time as me. We were pretty tight. After millions of years of playing the [Game], he...he up and decided that it...was his time. He had lived his life as much as he could've wanted...done everything he ever dreamed of...and was ready to leave the [System]. We had a nice, long talk. I tried to convince him to play a bit longer, but he had made his mind up. A few days later, he went to ask the [Admins] to 'let him rest'." Cameron spoke, his voice raspy as he seemed like an old man who found out his 'war buddy' had passed away.

...

"It's been a while since he left, but I still think about it every now and then. I still have some juice in me, so I can probably go on for another hundred thousand years or so, but I think that I'm also coming up on that time."

Oh...oh shit...

...Cameron...is he...

...was he doing what I **think** he's doing...

"I just...I thought that, if we were bringing **you** into the [System], I could take on one last little 'project'. Bring you up, enjoy some time with you...and who knows? Maybe doing this will give me even more juice to keep playing..."

"Cam..." I choked slightly, knowing that I should be holding him accountable for what happened...

...but...

...he's my friend. He's **been** my friend for years...

...I can hold a grudge against him...

..but...to hear **this**...

"Doug...I'm sorry. All of it was selfishness on my part. I was just trying to have your first play-through be positive. That's usually the best way for new [Gamers] to start out, so that they don't get super depressed right off the get-go." he bowed his head.

...

...I still need to know a few more things before I make any decisions...

"Keep going..." I prompted, forcing down my feelings to get as much information as possible.

Cameron just sighed before looking back up to me.

"Alright. That's pretty much everything concerning you becoming a [Gamer] and why I did what I did. I can tell you that, when I told you to not use the 'Help Screen', that was for two reasons. The first one, you probably would've found evidence that I was withholding information from you. And the other...a lot of information in there is **extremely** **biased**. The 'Help Screen' is managed by the [System] itself, so it's not going to say anything bad about the [System]. The [Hackers] can never be portrayed as anything other than 'evil, vicious trolls' in the 'Help Screen', either. It would've fed you all of that bias, and possibly could've skewed your view of the [Game] in its entirety."

"Anything else...is probably going to just be information relating to some of the things that have been happening in your play-through. You know, the **little details**..." Cameron finished, leaning backward in his chair again as he looked at me.

I just narrowed my eyes again at this.

Now we're getting closer to the stuff concerning what had happened in the 'dungeon'.

"First off, know this...the [Game] has a very special focus when it comes to influencing our lives. Any of your deepest, most intense desires are...well, the [Game] will try to help them be fulfilled. For you, I'd imagine that being reborn into a 'harem/romance'-universe so quickly means that you want to be surrounded by people who care about you, and who you can care about in return." Cameron reasoned, smiling slightly as he looked at me.

...*ba-dump*...

Turning away from him as I felt my face heat up, I just heard a chuckle come from him.

"It's an **incredibly understandable** desire. One that...I'm fairly certain that **every** [Gamer] feels. Now, in order to let you experience that feeling, the [Game] is going to surround you with people who it feels you can come to care about easily, and who can come to care about you as well. Hence, when I first saw you with Rossweisse, I **knew** she was your favorite girl from 'DxD'. I'd imagine that you coming into contact with Akeno so early on was also the [Game]'s doing. It just kinda sucks that it wasn't a pleasant first encounter." Cameron explained, wriggling his eyebrows at me.

However, I could only feel my heart sink at the thought that popped into my head...

"...then...doesn't that mean that Rossweisse...Serafall... **and** Lavinia all got kidnapped because of me?" I asked, not feeling very sure that I could stand to be around them if that was the case.

Despite not knowing Serafall...Rossweisse and Lavinia are already friends to me, at least in my eyes...

...did... **I** cause them to go through all of that?

Cameron just sighed deeply.

"Doug, this entire universe **wouldn't** **exist** if **you** never came here. Besides, this is a **copy** of the 'DxD'-universe. Just because you arbitrarily decide to buy a game, plug it in to your console (or whatever), turn it on in order to play it...do you hate yourself because the characters in the game go through some hardships? Do you think it just wouldn't happen if you had never bought it? Plus, even if you look at it as if you **were** the cause of their suffering...wouldn't that just mean that you have a responsibility to **protect them**? The [Game] **isn't** **designed** to make people suffer. Sure, it happens, but that's **not** the objective." Cameron attempted to reassure me.

...

...so...I...just **failed** in the 'dungeon'...?

Is...is that how I'm supposed to treat Lavinia's situation...?

Sure...I **tried my best** to protect her...and I **thought** I was...

...

...hang on a second...

"Cameron...let me run something by you." I requested, causing the brown-haired male to look at me curiously, like he apparently understood that I was actually thinking about something.

"Shoot." he agreed.

I just crossed my arms as I tried to ponder over what I was thinking about.

"Inside the 'Boss ID', the area where the boss fight was happening was a large chamber. Attached to that, was a door leading to a smaller chamber on one side of the room, and a doorway leading to a staircase leading back up to the surface on the other side. There were sound-proof barriers covering both doorways. I left Lavinia in the smaller chamber to keep her out of harm's way during my boss fight, which wasn't exactly tame or refined. It was the Cerberus from 'DmC3'. He kept romping around and throwing ice attacks every which way at me..." I spoke, using my hands to help illustrate my point, as I set up the scenario I wanted help on understanding before asking my question.

"If...I **had known** about the guy in the coat...would I have really been able to do anything to keep Lavinia safe? She was weakened, and her **[Sacred Gear]** wasn't really up to handling any sort of fighting...so..." I muttered, trying to make sense of that situation...

...trying to think of what I **would've** been able to do, had I known...

Cameron just sighed.

"Considering you **didn't know** , your plan was spot-on in terms of having the highest chance of her being completely safe. She would just be a liability in any fight. However, if you **had known** , I'd say your safest bet would've been to keep her with you. It might've made it a little more dangerous, but if you're **right there** , then you can have a hand in influencing what the outcome would've been. If her **[Sacred Gear]** had any power left, she could've just formed a barrier around herself and let you do your thing." he replied, making me feel a little easier at knowing that I **wasn't** acting stupid in the 'Boss ID'.

...

"Now...I'll try to answer as much as I **can** about what happened the 'Boss ID', but unfortunately...the guy in the coat is **off-limits** for me. I can't help you with him." Cameron spoke, his tone turning slightly reserved once again.

...Now... **that** was definitely **NOT** what I wanted to hear from him.

"Cameron...he went after Lavinia, presumably to 'test me'. You didn't give me **any** warning before-hand that something like that might be possible, so you better give me **something**. Even if I'm not super close with her, I'm not going to back down just because you seemingly **can't** tell me about him. Who is he? Why is he here? What the hell does he want from me?" I respond, tightening my crossed arms as I glared at him.

Cameron just sighed.

"Just **something**? How about why I stopped you?" he proposed, to which I gritted my teeth.

"For starters." I prompted.

"Considering he has all the same abilities as you, this should be simple to understand. There's a general rule of thumb concerning [Gamer Duels]. If, after half-an-hour or so of continuous fighting at full-force, neither player shows signs of having a significant leg-up on the other...it's considered a 'draw'. Not because nobody has won by that point, but because neither player has shown signs of being able to beat the other. It mostly has to do with the regeneration abilities that [Gamers] have. You and him showed signs that neither would be able to edge out a win. You would've just continued fighting back and forth, like you had been for around 27 minutes, for the rest of eternity had you been allowed to continue for that long." Cameron explained, causing me to merely bow my head in thought.

...he wasn't wrong.

That guy, whoever he was, was able to match me **blow-for-blow**. Even at the end...I probably would've gotten two or three good hits in before he'd go on the defensive and tough out my assault.

But, that doesn't count for luckiness or anything like that...

Plus, I had 2 more **Resurrection Tokens**...

"I was watching the whole time. You'd either have to rely on luck, which could work against you just as much as it could him, or you'd take your chances with the **Resurrection Tokens**. Those have some pretty bad drawbacks. When your HP goes to 0, you go limp for exactly 5 seconds before those would kick in. Even if you **did** revive and go on the offensive, you can only use them so many times. Plus, if he found out your strategy, then he'd simply knock you down to 0, and then be on 'stand-by' for you to revive...and then knock you down to 0 again." Cameron continued, guessing at what I was thinking.

He then gave a very bitter smile.

"I would've loved to see you wreck his shit, but that didn't happen. I didn't want you to waste any more time on him, nor did I want you to start using up your **Resurrection Tokens**. After all, you **kinda** had someone whom you wanted to revive, right? Also, if you had fought him for a week, a couple of other things would happen. You'd fail your other [Quest], and Lavinia would be **gone**. I figured...if I brought you **back** , and trained you up a lot more, you could pay him back ten-fold the next time you meet." Cameron reasoned, seeming like he didn't stop me for the hell of it.

...

uuuuuunnnnnnnngGGGGGHHHHHHH!

I hate it...because he's **not wrong**!

Looking to the right, towards the closed door that led to Lavinia's bedroom, I felt my own lips tighten into a straight line.

I didn't...even **think** of that. Sure...that'd be assuming that the fight would last that long, but it's not like I could point to any signs that it wouldn't.

...Still...it feels like I let Lavinia down. I wanted to get rid of that guy so that when I revived her...

...wait...

"Is she...going to have to wake up and remember all of **that**?" I asked, my voice barely making it out in a whisper.

Cameron sighed and smiled.

"Not if **I** have anything to say about it. It's not the first time I've seen shit like this, but there's no reason to have her remember something like that. I'll get rid of those memories so that she doesn't have to live with them. Unless...you **want** her to?" Cameron asked, though it seemed like he already knew my answer.

I just kept my eyes on her door with a somber expression.

"...not in a million years. I may be a bit confused and disoriented when it comes to my feelings...I may not have felt genuine anger when I was fighting him...but I don't want her to remember that if she doesn't have to." I muttered, feeling the cold and numb feeling ebb its way into my heart again.

Cameron stood up.

"Anger comes in many forms, Doug. It's not always a 'raging inferno of righteous fury'. Sometimes, it's cold...and numbing. It makes the world feel empty. There was a lot of stuff going on at the time, as well. Your general emotional stunted-ness might've played a part, or it could just be that you were aware that you could revive her. The lack of stakes can sometimes mute one's reactions to certain situations. You should take some time to work out these things for yourself, but take solace in the fact that you cared enough about her to fight for her." he reasoned, walking around the table to come near me and slapping a hand down on my shoulder.

I turned to see him staring at me with a resolute expression and a small smile on his face.

"I can't...tell you any more than that. Hate me if you want, but don't..." Cameron tried to speak, but I had already pulled out my 'Friends List'.

Sending a [Duel Request] to him, that was the exact same as all of our other ones, I just stared him dead in the eye. Cameron just sighed before nodding and accepted it.

* * *

 **-1v1 Duel-**

 **-Cameron Phillips vs. Douglas Roland-**

 **-START!-**

* * *

*WHAM*

*WHAM*

Swinging upwards with my left arm, I drove my elbow into the side of Cameron's jaw. Reversing the momentum, I bashed my left fist against his face.

Having brought out my sword from my 'Inventory', I sliced upwards between his legs and...

*SCHLICK*

...cut all the way up through his groin area with my sword stopping inside of his stomach.

"Nnnnggghhhh..." Cameron groaned quietly as he continued looking at me.

...

...even if I **knew** he most likely stood there and let me attack, that felt **really satisfying**.

Roughly ripping my sword out of his groin, causing a large spray of blood to shoot out and onto my clothing, I just swung my foot up towards the side his rib-cage.

*BOOF*

Sending Cameron tumbling across the living room from the force behind the attack, I felt the cold, numb feeling from before flow into my heart.

And, this time... **I wasn't so confused**.

This asshole lied to me. He nullified any possible chance I could've had to keep Lavinia safe. He left me in the dark about **so many things**...

...I can probably get some more information from him, but right now...

...I just want to hurt him. I want him to know that I **am not okay** with what he did.

"I'm **not** going to forgive you for this, Cameron. I may understand your reasoning...and maybe even more than I would've liked to. However, I'm going to take my time to beat the **ever-loving shit** out of you. And **you're** going to **TAKE IT**! After that, you're going to **fix Lavinia up** , you're never going to lie to me again, you're going to properly be my [Mentor] from now on, and..." I seethed, feeling every muscle in my body tensing up as I glared at the brown-haired asshole who was busy picking himself up off my living room carpet.

...

"...and most of all... **you'll stop dictating how my life is lived**."

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Douglas's Crib – Lavinia's Room (Douglas POV)**

 **2:56 PM – 4 Hours, 43 Minutes Later...**

Standing back up from having leaned on the bed over the sleeping girl, Cameron just turned and smiled at me.

"All finished. Considering that there was a...rather **sentimental** memory just before the guy in the coat showed up, I went ahead and made her think she just lost consciousness. She won't remember anything relating to him or the experience." Cameron explained, walking past where I stood at the door.

It took all of about 10 seconds for him to fix her up.

However, he stopped right in front of me.

"I also took the liberty of...'cleansing' her body, so that there aren't any side-effects from what happened." he spoke, giving me a small wink before his eyes narrowed.

"I can also tell you right now, the other two are both perfectly stable...and were sent into unconsciousness before they came into contact with the guy in the coat. Rossweisse was back in her home-town when she was taken by surprise and brought back. That only happened around a day ago. Then, around the time when you first got your new [Quests], Serafall was taking care of some of her more...'personal' business, when she was strategically attacked and eventually was sucked into an alternate dimension where she wasn't able to breathe. She slowly lost consciousness, but was brought out before major brain damage occurred. She was then kept under by an incredibly powerful sleep spell." he explained, already telling me before that he had an ability that allowed him to read people's minds like open books.

However...

"For your sake, you best not be bullshitting me. If you can alter people's memories like that, then you would be able to get rid of any memories they have. If you fucked with them like that..." I warned, having learned my lesson about trusting my friend without hesitation.

He just shook his head.

"I promise that I didn't. I already tried my hand at controlling things from behind your back, and it didn't work so well. I always put in little suggestions that, if something happens, then they should send some information to some random cell-phone number that I **just so happen to possess** , but that's just keeping a steady flow of information coming in. Helps me keep an eye on things." Cameron reasoned.

I knew he was telling me the truth about that, because it was obvious that he has control issues.

I just glared at him.

"That's shady enough. You're tip-toeing on some **mighty thin ice** , Cameron." I grunted, crossing my arms and stepping out of the doorway to let him through.

Cameron just nodded and walked out of the room.

...

"...just gonna throw this out there, but all those things you **think** can only happen in anime...like say, 'forming an emotional bond with someone mere hours after meeting'...the [Game] can help make those happen as well." Cameron remarked as he hooked around towards the left to go into Serafall's room, which was next to Lavinia's.

...

Something about the way he said that made me...wait...

He went through Lavinia's memories. **Of course he knows**.

Goddamnit!

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, lest I go into the other room and challenge him to another [Duel] just to beat the shit out of him, I looked towards the blonde girl laying on the bed.

Seeing the gentle rise and fall of her sizable chest from her peaceful breathing, I just let the smile spread across my face.

Walking over to the bed, I eased my way into sitting on the edge near Lavinia's knees, watching Lavinia's nostrils flare with each breath she took.

Looking at her like this, my attention was brought back to how I felt when I was fighting [The Master].

I had resolved myself that I would try to kill him before bringing her back, so that she'd never have to deal with him again. I knew that, by doing so, I'd be fighting **for her**. Even if we didn't know each other that much, I just blindly believed that.

...all up until I actually fought.

I know that I was genuinely intending to kill someone...but no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to actually make myself **become** angry or furious over what happened.

It just felt cold...and numb.

Even if I'm not exactly sure **what** I felt...I know that I **didn't like it**. I also may have had a way to bring her back, but I would've been **miserable** if I had to deal with feeling guilty because I wasn't capable of saving her.

...she's not like my dad, and she's not like my sis...

...she's not like my **real** sister.

I guess...I'm going to have to give this whole 'showing affection and care'-thing a shot. If nothing else...a 'trial run'.

If I get hurt or taken advantage of...

...I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Lavinia, Rossweisse, I hope you're ready for me to get a **whole lot more annoying**!

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy (Douglas POV)**

 **4:34 PM – 1 Hour, 34 Minutes Later...**

{Well...I just wanna know...it's not like you have to do this **right now** , after all. Even [Gamers] can really benefit from resting every now and then. Do you really wanna do this?} Cameron asked me over our [Call].

Fun fact, when communicating over [Call], the [Game] instantly outfits you with a wireless headset w/mic in order to make it not conspicuous. Time is also made to flow like normal, so you look like a geek walking the streets whilst talking into your headset without reserve.

Good news, though, is that the [Game] mutes your voice towards other people, so they can't hear what you're talking about. They'll just see you mouthing off to your microphone without actually saying anything!

I don't like to use [Call] in public.

It makes me self-conscious...

However, considering that I'm standing in front of, what I presume to be, the main school building of Kuoh Academy, otherwise known as the HQ for the Devils in this city, I think I can make an exception to allow Cameron to question my decision.

Wearing my baggy white t-shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers, I cut **quite** the intimidating figure as I stood there, chatting on a silver-colored wireless headset.

Simply put, I decided to come here and finish up my [Quest] without delays. Considering Cameron's already 'softened' Sona up, I'm assuming that I can do this and have it be done with.

Not to mention, I feel like I'd get in serious trouble if they see me hanging around Serafall at any time, considering she's apparently been missing for a few days.

Just need to stick to the plan...

"Yeah. I think I'm good enough to play on their level now, and if anything happens..." I replied, trailing off so that Cameron understood.

I just heard a sigh and a chuckle from the ear-piece covering my left ear.

{I'll zip right over.} he finished, wishing me a 'good luck, because I apparently deserve some by this point' and hanging up.

As the silvery headset disappeared off my head, to which the [Game] also keeps other people from noticing, I simply walked inside.

Thankfully, since the students are on 'summer break', it only seems like those affiliated with clubs are here.

However, I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of males...

...perhaps, because there aren't any males in the Peerages of either of the two High-Class Devils here, there's no foreseeable need...?

That's really the only reason I can think of. After all, Kiba's a girl now, and the [Kings] and [Queens] of the Peerages are in their first-year.

As I entered, I didn't really think much of the interior, except that it was...

... **really** spacious.

Fucking hell, the area of the front lobby was the size of a small gym where I'm from!

However, my brain simply conjured up a flash of red in order to explain the logic of having such a large lobby.

...oh...

...fuck, almost forgot...

Rias.

Welp! Not **my** fucking problem!

Looking over to the left, I saw a large wooden desk with a petite little...20-something year old Japanese brunette sitting behind it, just staring at me with a curious expression.

"...Hi!" I greeted as I walked over, knowing that...

...well, a **guy** being in an all-girl school is **kinda** weird.

However, she might also just be confused because of how I'm dressed.

"...May I help you, young man?" she asked, her voice professional. I just smiled as I leaned onto the desk with my left hand.

"Yes. My older sister is looking to apply here. She's super busy right now, so I was hoping that I could come talk to the...'Student Council', I believe it is, about getting some help with getting her set up." I smooth-talked, trying to sound like I was just being the 'helpful little brother'.

The lady just raised an eyebrow at me.

"We are in the middle of the school year, but you just need an application, right? I have those right here..." she replied, reaching towards a large, foot-tall stack of papers on her left.

I just leaned forward and turned my eyebrows upwards.

"Thank you, ma'am...but my sister...she has had some problems with other girls her age in the past. She's really self-conscious about it, so I was wondering if I could just have the chance to talk with someone and make sure she has...just a little bit of help, at least." I muttered, doing my best to sound sad.

The lady just looked at me before smiling.

"Of course, young man. Just go up those stairs to the right, and it's the third door on the left. I must say, I wish **my** little brother was as thoughtful. I hope to meet your sister someday." the lady kindly directed me, even going so far as to compliment me.

I just smiled and gave a good laugh.

"Thanks! She's really smart and nice, though I wish she would stop peeping on me whenever I go to the bathroom!" I replied, making sure to sound like I had no idea what the implications of what I just said were.

The lady just blushed as an astonished expression overcame her face.

"Wha-!? I...she-!? Yo-!?" she stammered, seeming to be incredibly embarrassed.

I just laughed lightly and turned to quickly head up the stairs as instructed.

Though, on the inside, I hope Lavinia doesn't ever need to go to school here.

Yep, that would be... **pretty bad**.

Walking up the stairs merrily, I paced down the hall to the third door on the left.

There was a sign sticking out from over top of the twin doors.

* * *

 _ **-Student Council Office-**_

 _ **-Please, knock. It makes everyone's day much easier.-**_

* * *

...

Meh, it would probably be good form to 'not be rude' and kick down the door. Plus, I would've knocked anyways.

I wasn't raised in a barn, after all.

Stepping up to the dark, most likely made of mahogany, doors, I gave three sharp raps to it.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Waiting for a moment, the handle on the door turned, and the portal was opened by...

Fuck!

"M-Mr. Douglas?" a familiar black-haired 'senpai', wearing the familiar 'female summer uniform' for the school we were in, spoke as her familiar amethyst orbs showed adequate surprise at my being here, outside of this not so familiar door.

"Ms. Himejima." I replied, my tone polite despite my obvious internal raging that if **she's** here, then...

"Oh~? Is that **you** , Mr. Douglas~?"

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan - On top of a skyscraper (General POV)**

 **...Same Time...**

With a pair of red eyes glowing in the light of day, a brown-haired young man stood on top of the skyscraper he was on, looking through the window with his hawk-like ocular capabilities of some random school, with an 'oh shit'-face on his...

...face.

"Ohhhhhh shiiiiiiiiiii-"

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy – Student Council Office (Douglas POV)**

 **...Same Time...**

-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

-UUUUUUCK!-

Staring at me dead in the eye, face-to-face, was the **worst** person I could've met in order to peacefully discuss things with.

...and I slammed a door in her face.

"Ms. Gremory." I greeted her, my tone going dead monotone as I stared at her glistening aquamarine orbs filled with mischievous delight at the situation we have found ourselves in as she swapped places with Akeno to stand in the doorway.

I noticed that Akeno had slunk away from Rias once her Mistress decided to handle this situation herself. The black-haired girl was looking at me with a pitiful expression, however, like she didn't want anything bad to happen.

I just sighed.

"Look, can we bury the hatchet?" I asked flat out, not even deigning to try to warm up to her first. Rias raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.

By the way, she was also wearing the school's summer uniform.

"Bury the hatchet? Does that mean you're here to apologize for being so rude to me, or possibly even for slamming your door in my face and breaking my nose?" she asked, clearly believing herself to have the high-ground after our last encounter.

Yeah...doing that was definitely my ba...

"No. You were kind of asking for that, what with you showing up at my place throwing accusations left and right and even trying to forcibly trespass on my property." I responded, my tone expressing my disinterest with the idea.

If Rias were a dog, I'm fairly certain that just my mere presence would cause her to foam up at the mouth by this point, what with how her cheeks reddened as she proceeded to glare at me.

She obviously hasn't considered whatever she did to be wrong, so it comes as no surprise when she immediately started raising her voice.

"If you had just let me in, no harm would have come to you! I would've asked my questions about 'why you are here in **my** territory', 'why you were in that alleyway at night with an unconscious girl in your arms', 'who your accomplice was' and 'where we could find him'!" Rias attempted to reason, leaning back slightly to appear taller and more intimidating.

I just grunted.

"And if I chose to not answer those questions?" I prompted, which caused Rias to just give a 'harumph'.

"Trust me. You **would have** answered. Or else **her**." Rias answered, nudging her head to the right where Akeno was standing.

I just looked to her, before looking back to Rias.

"So...I answer, or she makes me 'shit lightning'? Isn't that considered **torture**? Or do Devils have some fancy word for it that makes it **perfectly okay**?" I replied, to which Akeno seemed to flinch when I used the 't-word'.

Funny, I thought she was a **sadist**. Doesn't that mean she **gets off** **on torture**?

Maybe she isn't so 'cut and dry'. Like, she only enjoys it when she's not hurting **innocents** , or something like that...

If that's the case, then Rias is being **really** fucking inconsiderate of her [Queen]'s feelings by assuming that she's okay with hurting anybody so long as a red-head gives her the 'thumbs-up'.

It's either that Akeno is so blind that she hasn't noticed Rias not really paying any attention to her genuine feelings...or Rias is good enough at acting to fool Akeno into thinking that she cares when **she really doesn't**.

...

"Rias, if you're going to bother arguing with someone, can you please refrain from doing it in my doorway? If someone's come to speak with me, then don't get involved." spoke a feminine voice from inside the room. Peering past Rias, I saw the person who spoke.

Sitting behind an ornate wooden desk that was piled high with papers, was a petite girl with short black hair in a bob cut. Her violet eyes were peering at us with a slight sign of annoyance from behind the oval-shaped red-rimmed glasses she wore. She was also wearing the 'female summer uniform' for the school.

There's the one that I **wanted** to talk to!

Rias just sighed as she turned around and started walking back inside the room. Akeno just gave me a short apologetic bow before following after her.

I just stood in the doorway as I looked upon the occupants of the room.

Besides Rias, Akeno and Sona Sitri, I could also see Sona's [Queen] standing next to her desk attentively.

She was taller than me by an inch or two, with long black hair that came down to her hips. Her eyes, behind her blue-rimmed glasses, were hetero-chromatic, the left being purple and the right being light-brown. She showed signs of a developing body underneath her summer uniform. However, I also noticed a lengthy purple-colored sword bag with a weapon inside leaning against the wall just behind her.

...and she was staring at me like a hawk.

I used [Observe] on both of them.

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Sona Sitri  
 **Age:** 16  
 **Birthday:** March 26  
 **Race:** Pure-Blooded Devil  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Sitri Clan, Sona Sitri's Peerage

 **LVL:** 26  
 **HP:** 2,715/2,715  
 **MP:** 7,702/7,702

 **STR:** 679  
 **END:** 838  
 **AGI:** 698  
 **INT:** 7,579  
 **MAG:** 5,417  
 **LUK:** 3,148

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Tsubaki Shinra  
 **Age:** 15  
 **Birthday:** September 14  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Human  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Sona Sitri's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Queen]

 **+Sacred Gear – [Mirror Alice]:** Click for details...

 **LVL:** 31  
 **HP:** 4,707/4,707  
 **MP:** 3,896/3,896

 **STR:** 1,806  
 **END:** 2,199  
 **AGI:** 2,114  
 **INT:** 3,796  
 **MAG:** 2,359  
 **LUK:** 2,611

* * *

Dismissing the two screens, I allowed time to continue forward.

Man, that's so freaking useful!

I just stared back at her, before firmly shifting my gaze to the girl sitting behind the desk.

"If this is a bad time, then I can come back later." I offered, trying to shift the atmosphere back to being polite.

As Rias took a seat in a leather-bound cushion that was sitting in front of the desk, angled so that I could still see half of her face, I could **taste** her scoff.

"No, please, come on in~! It's not like you should've set up an appointment beforehand, **like what a polite person would do** ~!" Rias replied in a snappy voice.

I could literally see a bulge appear on Sona's forehead.

"Rias, I'm assuming you know this young man?" she asked. Rias just waved her hand dismissively.

"Not really. He's just the accomplice to the man who attacked my [Queen]." she answered nonchalantly, though pretty much anyone would be able to tell that she was actually being snarky in her response.

Sona just sighed.

"Akeno, is that true?" Sona asked. Akeno just looked to me again, her expression clearly stating that she didn't want to get in trouble with Rias by saying anything impertinent...

...but that she also felt like **now** would be **the best time** to do so.

Before she would step into the hot water, though, I cleared my throat, getting the attention of every female in the room.

"Akeno...don't." I assured her, before stepping into the room and closing the door gently behind me.

Akeno seemed to hesitate as she looked between the other High-Class Devil in the room who asked a question of her and myself, some random dude that she happened to threaten a couple of weeks ago.

Sona just raised an eyebrow at me. Nudging my head towards Rias and shaking my head, I tried to send the message that I didn't want to put any fuel on the crimson-haired girl's hot-headed mental state.

Sona simply firmed up her expression and turned towards Akeno.

"Akeno?" Sona prompted, either not heeding or not understanding my message.

Akeno just looked to me again before she seemed to make up her mind. With an expression as hard as steel on her face, she spoke up.

"Ms. Sona, in all honesty, his friend only attacked me after I had expressed the intention to kidnap and forcibly interrogate Mr. Dougla...this young man here." Akeno answered, telling the truth as she looked back to the black-haired [King].

Sona just quirked her eyebrow at the standing girl.

Rias, however, chose to speak up at that point.

"Akeno! You were attacked in an alley-way by his accomplice, why would you try to skirt around that!?" Rias spoke, her voice sounding rather intense and forceful.

Akeno just looked to her [King] with an apologetic expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, Rias, but I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't have been attacked if I hadn't allowed myself to get caught up in the heat of the moment. And to make matters worse, when we showed up at his house the next day, we weren't exactly acting like we wanted to make peace." Akeno replied, her voice resolute as she seemed to be trying to take a stand against her [King] and think for herself.

Rias was about to speak up again before Sona beat her to it.

"Thank you very much, Akeno. Rias. You two should relax, and let me handle talking with this young man. After all, a peaceful solution would be best, correct?" Sona spoke, clearly asserting her dominance inside of the 'Student Council Office'.

Akeno seemed a little relieved that she wouldn't have to immediately face any backlash as she just folded her hands together in front of her waist. Rias seemed to want to argue, before eventually sighing and crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat.

Turning back to look at me, the black-haired [King] spoke.

"Well, let's try to do this with at least a **hint** of civility. My name is Sona Sitri, heiress to the Sitri Clan of the Devil Faction. Rias and I are the governors of this territory of Kuoh City. This girl next to me is Tsubaki Shinra, my [Queen]." she greeted, introducing the girl standing beside her as well, as she laced her fingers together in front of her whilst resting her arms on her desk.

I just nodded politely.

"It's a pleasure, Ms. Sitri. Ms. Shinra. My name is Douglas Nelson. I'm a...freelance Magician that's moved into this city from the US a few weeks ago." I replied, using my mother's maiden name instead of my **actual** last name.

I just have a feeling like it would be smart to keep personal information like **that** close to the chest.

Sona just tilted her head.

"A 'freelance Magician'? Am I to understand that you're not affiliated with any of the Magician Organizations, then?" she asked, to which I nodded.

I figured that it would be best to not bullshit about being involved with a faction. If I was, then me being here could start an incident.

However, **not** being affiliated with a faction also has its disadvantages...

...namely, everyone will most likely consider me 'up-for-grabs'.

I could see a small smile appear on Rias's face for a moment before she schooled it back to an annoyed frown.

Sona just nodded.

"I see. And your reason for coming to this city?" she asked.

"To live here. I don't have any real enemies out there, but I wanted to get some space from my family. They're...kinda pushy." I replied, knowing that both High-Class Devils in the room would be able to empathize with my situation.

And yes, Rias, I saw that little look of understanding on your face~!

"Well, I've also been told that you've already bought a place of residence. I've already seen the legal work, and it checks out. What of your 'freelancing'-status? Are you currently working any jobs?" Sona continued.

Man, this chick is **on point** ~!

...it's certainly a breath of fresh air, I have to say.

"I just got back from one, but I'm probably going to be taking it easy for a bit." I responded. Sona just nodded.

"Perhaps we might be able to hire you at some point in the future. I will ask that, if you really do plan on living in the city, that you give us notice as to whether or not you're taking on a job. Especially if it's within the city limits. If we know what's going on, there'll be much less problems to have to deal with. Now...I've been informed that you brought a Valkyrie into our city illegally a few weeks ago..."

...shit.

Shit. Shit. SHIT!

"A...minor hiccup. It was actually a really freaking weird situation, so I sincerely doubt that it would happen again." I tried to assure them, except that my mind got brought back to the girls at my house.

Oh, it's already happened again. This time, with 3 illegal aliens...with one of them being the same Valkyrie as before, one of them being a **[Longinus]** -wielder, and the last one being your missing older sister...

"Yes. It was resolved quickly, with her grandmother coming to get her and bring her home, correct? I **would** ask that you do your very best to make sure this **doesn't** happen again, Mr. Nelson." Sona spoke, her tone becoming pretty freaking serious.

I just nodded.

"Fine by me, Ms. Sitri." I responded, my tone firm.

At that, Sona just nodded.

"Very well. So long as it doesn't happen again, it shouldn't be a problem. With all of this, I'm pretty sure we're done here. So long as you don't mean anyone in the city any harm, and you don't want to step on the toes of the Devils who live here, there shouldn't be a problem. I **will** need you to sign a few contracts, though." she spoke as she slipped her right hand into one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a few pieces of paper.

Daintily picking up a pen from beside her, I was immediately hit by a thought.

...

...fingerprints.

Giving a small smile as I approached, I just glanced at Rias who seemed to be pretty grumpy over the fact that I seemed to be getting permission from her rival to stay in town.

Leaning down and bringing up my 'Status Screen' to freeze time, I just glanced over the contracts to see what all they said.

It was basically a small stack of five sheets of paper that were all saying that I wouldn't go out and murder people senselessly, that I wouldn't engage in supernatural activities inside of the city without informing the Devils about them, that I wouldn't take a shit in the birdbath at the park, etc.

Having gone through the papers carefully, I un-froze time and picked up the small blue pen off the desk...

* * *

 **-Sign here-**

 _ **x...D. Nelson...**_

* * *

...and forged a fake signature on the 'dotted line'.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Nelson. It's easier for everyone if these things are done formally, but thankfully you haven't caused any trouble so far." Sona graciously said as she accepted the signed contracts and the pen from me, though I noticed that she made sure to keep her fingers away from any spots where I touched it.

I just nodded.

"Thanks as well for being so understanding, Ms. Sitri." I responded, before turning to look at Rias.

She just gave me a glare, seeming none too happy that I was getting off the hook without a scratch when it comes to living here.

...in the spirit of fairness, though, perhaps I should give this another shot...

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Son, even if you fail at times, you should always **try** to not be a jerk."_

* * *

...damn it all to hell...

"Ms. Gremory, we may not like each other...and I think that **that's** just fine. Nothing saying we **have** to get along...but can we stop being at each other's throats?" I proposed, holding out my right hand with a flat-look on my face.

Looking between my face and my hand, Rias just narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I think tha- **Rias?** "

That voice came from the lady sitting behind the desk, who was giving a sharp glare to the red-headed girl sitting in front of me.

Rias just looked between Sona and I for a moment, seemingly contemplating if she wanted to stir up trouble **right now**...

...

Hearing the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from outside the door behind me, I looked towards it. The Devils also looked towards it.

Within a moment, the wooden doors were forced open with a 'bang'.

...

*BANG*

"President Rias! Mr. Douglas ha..." a familiar blonde-haired girl spoke up, entering the room with a troubled expression before she stopped, her face one of shock as she laid eyes on the scene before her.

Walking in behind her, was a white-haired girl who was significantly shorter than her.

Wearing a light blue blouse with dark blue jeans covering her legs and a pair of white running shoes on her feet, Yumi stood there, seemingly not comprehending what was happening right now.

Beside her, Koneko stood silently, her face expressionless. She was wearing a white t-shirt with a light brown vest unbuttoned over it. Around her waist, was a blue denim short skirt. On her feet were a pair of white sneakers.

I just sighed as I looked at them.

"...hello." I muttered lamely.

That's when a sword came flying at me...

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **I finally get to go back to FUN STUFF! I don't have to focus on making everything bleak and depressing! I get to have COMEDY IN MY STORY AGAIN, MUTHERFUDGERS!**

 **Now, to clarify a few things, since I've apparently gotten into the habit of doing so...**

 **1\. Cameron is not forgiven, he is on an _extreme_ probation.**

 **2\. Douglas doesn't just kick Cameron out, because he both doesn't want to lose one of the few friends he has amongst the [Gamers], he needs a [Mentor] to help him get accustomed to his new life. And, now that he has leverage, he can make Cameron his itty bitty little bitch.**

 **3\. Douglas is going to stop trusting Cameron implicitly, which means he's going to go ahead and start trying to figure things out for himself.**

 **4\. Douglas is not immediately changing character as far as how he's gonna treat the ladies. He's just going to be more open about it and not second guess himself as much. In other words, he's going to try putting himself out there with these girls to see if this will really work. If not, then he only did it with two or three people, instead of literally every person on the face of the planet.**

 **5\. Sona went through the motions with Douglas so quick because Cameron did shit to her.**

 **6\. The rape and murder matters, but only to Douglas. He'll learn to take things seriously and not simply assume that someone is safe, like he did for both Rossweisse and Lavinia. He didn't even consider that Rossweisse could be kidnapped AGAIN, or that Lavinia could suffer so much when he was only about 100 feet away. Sorry to anyone who wanted Lavinia to get pregnant with [The Master]'s kid, but I didn't plan for that in this story.**

 **7\. Douglas has already bought new abilities and upped his 'Stats'. He's also gotten in a bit of training with them by beating the shit out of Cameron, so HAHAHAHAHA!**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Same deal here, if you wanna Review, just look down a little bit.**

 **Lower...**

 **Little lower...**

 **AHA! IF REVIEWING WAS A BODY PART YOU'D BE LOOKING AT IT'S BIG FAT HAIRY 'belly button' RIGHT NOW!**

 **Whoo...I'm pretty fucking tired right now...G'night!**


	17. Chapter 14 - Females Going Crazy

**Been gone a while, I'm back now, and might have to be gone for a while again here soon.**

 **I should probably go ahead and say that whilst I'm not even considering giving up on continuing with this story, after looking through the plans I've concocted, I'm starting to scratch my head a bit.**

 **If I continued at this pace (not update schedule, but narrative-wise), this story would probably push the 150+ Chapter mark. That would be okay, if I was good at keeping a decent story flow. I'm not, though, and it would get really bad for me to start getting bored with the story, because then I'm pumping shit through a funnel into your mouths.**

 **However, I want shit to happen, so I'm starting to look for areas where I can cut down on fluff. If it gets really horrible, which I really hope it doesn't, I might even start to consider a re-write as a possibility.**

 **A lot of the fluff isn't intentional. I just have a basic outline of the plot and then I free-write. Those long drawn-out conversations are the result of that. There's no legitimate reason for them to drag on for half of a chapter, it's just that I got into the zone and just kept writing.**

 **I also found out that I SUCK at fight scenes, since I've redone this chapter 7 different times trying to get a decent fight out of Rias's Peerage. I just can't hack it, though, because I keep looking at the differences between Douglas's combat capabilities, along with him outclassing them in experience by effectively being a monster hunter and having dueled against an incredibly skilled swordsman hundreds of times now, and theirs and realize that I've screwed Rias and her friends out of any chance of having a genuine battle with him.**

 **Shit fuck.**

 **Fuck shit.**

 **Anyways, here's Chapter 14...**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Females Going Crazy**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy – Student Council Room (Douglas POV)**

 **4:42 PM**

*swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish*

*swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish*

*swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish* *swish*

As I quickly ducked and weaved through the small barrage of semi-rapid sword slashes being made against me by Rias's gender-bent [Knight], I simply pondered on something...

...THE FUCK'S WITH THESE PEOPLE!?

Bending down as she swung overhead, an expression of surprise passing over her features, I leaned towards my two o'clock and leapt towards the center of the wall to my right. Soaring straight past her left side as she was recovering from a swing that was aimed to behead me, I glanced back to see that Rias had actually been preparing to throw a baseball-sized blob of her [Power of Destruction] near where I was.

It hadn't actually left her hands, though, which told me that she apparently didn't feel confident in targeting me in close quarters with a member of her Peerage right beside me.

I also seemed to surprise the red-head as well with my speed. Not really shocking, since she has even less experience with these things than her Peerage does.

Flying through the air for around twenty feet, I landed on the wall and quickly surveyed the room.

The distinct lack of furniture was strange, since this room should hold the entire Student Council and allow them to work. I noted that Sona and Tsubaki seemed to be studying me intently, yet showing a definitive disinterest in actually joining the fray.

Rias seemed to be attempting to aim her attack at me, though her hand was raising in a rather slow fashion. She probably has very little experience with any sort of quick aiming maneuvers...

Akeno was watching in a passive manner, yet seemed to be horrified for some reason.

Kinda made me wonder if she either knew this would happen...or **didn't**.

Yumi had completely recovered from her assault on me, and was making her way towards the wall I was on. Koneko had taken up a goalie position in the doorway, presumably to keep me from escaping...

I just smirked.

As Yumi made a jump as she ran towards me to try to swipe at me, I leapt straight towards the opposite wall. Yumi attempted to follow suit, but it seems her legs aren't quite in tune to make 40-foot horizontal jumps. She dipped slightly halfway through the room, but lithely caught her footing on the floor. However, she only barely managed to halt her momentum, saving herself from giving a hard smooch to the wall by bracing against it with her hands that were now **sword-free**.

Slipping my feet upwards off the wall, I took aim towards the blonde [Knight] and let loose an [Air Jump].

Flying downwards from my 15-foot perch above and slightly to the right of her, I saw her look up at me in shock at my closing in on her. Reaching my hand down, I caught her face and continued with my momentum, pushing her head to the ground.

I made sure to pull back at the last second, though, due to not wanting to kill her instantly.

*crack*

...doesn't sound like it really fucking mattered, though...

Looking at her 'Observed Screen' real quick, I checked on her physical well-being...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Yumi Kiba  
 **Age:** 15  
 **Birthday:** May 30  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Human  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Knight]

 **+Sacred Gear – [Blade Blacksmith]:** Click for details...

 **LVL:** 22  
 **HP:** 989/1,217  
 **MP:** 1,178/1,242

 **STR:** 917  
 **END:** 597  
 **AGI:** 2,448  
 **INT:** 2,375  
 **MAG:** 1,344  
 **LUK:** 1,889

* * *

Eh, it helped **a little**...

Still, with my 'Stats' being so fucking high compared to hers, I have a feeling it could have been **a lot worse**.

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 25, 2014 **(Canon Start: 959 days)  
** **Time:** 4:42:31 PM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 8 Human):** +8 LUK/level  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 90  
 **EXP** : 331,867,044/612,577,743  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute)  
 **KI (DXD):** 5,811/6,300 (+60 KI/minute)

 **STR:** 2,312 (2,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 2,000 (1,910+90+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 2,771 (2,501+270+0+0)  
 **INT:** 700 (700+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 2,288 (1,928+360+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 793 (1+720+72)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

* * *

Yeah... **a LOT worse**...

I probably would've easily one-shotted her if I didn't pull back right there.

Dismissing the screens, which coincidentally allowed time to flow normally again, I leapt to my left as soon as my feet hit the ground to dodge a blast of destruction energy thrown by Rias with the singular purpose of getting me away from her damaged [Knight].

I flew through the air for a moment, glancing over to see the three black-haired ladies still quietly watching and Rias beginning to rush towards her downed servant. I decided then that it would be best to turn in mid-air to prepare myself to deal with the **charging** white-haired girl.

I suppose she was only playing goalie until she thought she found an opening...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Koneko Toujou (Shirone)  
 **Age:** 14  
 **Birthday:** November 23  
 **Race:** Reincarnated Devil – Nekoshou  
 **Affiliation:** Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage  
 **Evil Piece:** [Rook]

 **LVL:** 21  
 **HP:** 2,678/2,678  
 **MP:** 743/743  
 **KI (DXD):** _Sealed_

 **STR:** 2,188  
 **END:** 2,073  
 **AGI:** 875  
 **INT:** 2,121  
 **MAG:** 698  
 **LUK:** 845

* * *

I landed on the ground around the time she was 5-feet away from me. I spun my body around and swung up my left forearm to deflect a left straight that she threw towards my abdomen. Her punch definitely had some solidity to it, but deflecting things is easier than blocking them straight on.

I've learned quite a bit by getting my ass handed to me, little girl!

She seemed stunned due to me having brushed her attack to the side, which I took advantage of by quickly snatching her left wrist with my extended left arm. Kicking out and sweeping my left foot at her own, I pulled her arm behind her to trip her up and ended up making her land straight on the upper part of her back.

*thud*

"Ngh!?" she quietly grunted, probably from just being startled by what happened rather than from any actual pain.

Noticing an incoming blob of dark energy rushing straight towards me, I jumped towards my right to effectively end up about 5-feet away from the corner of the room. However, it's not like I was at a disadvantage or anything. I'm mobile enough that I can get out of here easily. Being here just lets me keep an eye on everyone else in the room.

Rias had helped Yumi up by this point, however the blonde didn't look like she was doing too hot.

You know, with the blood pouring out of her head that was soaking into her blue clothing. I almost wouldn't be surprised if she had a concussion at this point.

Poor Kiba...

The rest of the by-standers still stood by, watching all of this happen. However, Akeno seems quite worried about Yumi, if her expression towards the younger girl was anything to go by.

Koneko also got back up and assumed a fighting stance. She, most likely, figured that she simply made the mistake of underestimating my own strength capabilities.

If only it was just **that** , kitten.

Rushing towards me again, Koneko and I started to 'exchange' blows...is what I would like to say, but I was refraining from simply whooping her ass whilst maintaining my concentration so as to not be caught off-guard. With my superior AGI, I was effectively smacking away a bunch of attacks made by the equivalent of a toddler. Like the Wolves, she seemed to move incredibly sluggishly, which made my job much easier.

For about 15 seconds, I played with Koneko. Despite her showing various openings, I intentionally held back from striking her and merely held my stance whenever she paused to reconsider her 'plan of attack'.

This whole time, however, I was also attempting to study her own movements to try and learn what I could about martial arts, which I knew she was at least a basic practitioner of.

...though, to be honest, besides seeing her keep a tight stance and not making any stupidly over-telegraphed moves at me, I could clearly tell that Cameron had already taught me so much just by me fighting him over and over again. There was nary a thing that she did that seemed like it would be useful for me to learn at this point in time.

Seeing her bend slightly and pull her left leg back for a high-kick, I reached my left hand up. Her kick flew true, straight towards my jaw, but I was already primed to grab it.

I **might** need a little bit more power to be able to stop her momentum, though...

Activating one of my new abilities, I coated my whole body in a white milky aura. I could see a brief flicker in her eyes before her ankle was cleanly captured in my left hand.

Ah, sweet sweet [Touki]...

* * *

 **+[Touki] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP: 51/100% - Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 45 KI/second  
 **-Increases STR, END, and AGI by 50% when unarmed.  
** **-If you are about to receive non-magical damage, if the amount that you will receive is less than the amount of END you gain from using this ability, the damage is reduced by 1/2.  
** **-Capable of nullifying magical attacks via unarmed attacks so long as the damage that the attack will cause is equal to or lower than the combined increases you gain while using this ability.**

* * *

Gripping Koneko's ankle in my hand, I saw her eyes widen in recognition of the ability in a split-second. However, she had already made the mistake of letting herself get caught, and I was already cocking my right fist back and shifting forward to deliver punishment.

Seeing her features turn fearful as I threw a heavy punch towards her face, I could vaguely make out a few horrified visages on the other side of the room.

Rias and her Peerage were about to watch one of their own get murdered by some blond jackass that just barged the fuck in, talking like a big man about making peace and trying to co-exist without any sort of trouble arising.

...

Stopping my all-out punch a literal centimeter from the bridge of her nose, I relished the slow-motion view of her hair blowing backwards lightly from the puff of wind that my punch created.

*whiff*

Holding my fist there, I could see Koneko's eyes squint shut.

Deactivating my [Touki], I released her leg that I was still holding up. With the lack of my grip, Koneko tumbled onto the ground clumsily.

Standing over her with a keen gaze, I could see her slightly sitting form start to tremble as her hair fell over her eyes. However, unlike anime, I could still see the quivering lip and wide eyes that marked someone who is scared to high heaven at the moment.

Glancing up and seeing a sword being thrown at me by Yumi, I ducked to my right to dodge it and ran around the prone form of Koneko.

Stepping lightly, I ran up to the blonde-haired [Knight] who seemed to be trying to ignore her injury in favor of attacking me and possibly distracting me.

Summoning a demonic sword out of her right hand, the girl's eyes fixed onto my own with a fierce glare as she charged head-long at me.

Bringing my own sword out in my right hand, I saw a flash of shock pass over her face before we both swung our swords. Her with both hands, and me with just my right.

And as the metals clashed...

*CHING*

...her sword was shattered in an instant.

Reaching out with my left hand at the exact moment our blades met, I managed to grab the stunned girl's blue shirt in the middle of the chest area.

Get your minds out of the gutter, children!

Quickly pulling with my hand and kicking out my foot, I tripped the girl up and sent her tumbling to the floor.

However, seeing another blob of dark energy come flying towards my face from my right side, courtesy of Rias, I coated my right hand that was still holding my sword in the white milky aura of [Touki] and activated another of my abilities.

As a golden-colored magic circle sprung up in front of my hand, there was a split-second before it turned into a thin circular sheet of golden light that was about 1 meter in diameter.

* * *

 **+[Norse Magic: Shield of Light] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 80 MP/second  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Light] / [Shield]  
** **-Allows the player to create a shield of light on any vector around their bodies.  
** **-Toughness: (MAG*0.2+100)  
** **-Limit: 1 shield  
** **-Size: 1 meter  
** **-Range: 1 foot**

* * *

The light was translucent, so I was able to see the dark energy still traveling towards me...

...keep in mind, this all happened in about **1 second**.

Using [Observe] on Rias's attack, since I can do that, I found out the 'Stats' for her [Power of Destruction]...

* * *

 **+[Demonic Magic: Power of Destruction] (Highschool DxD) – Rank: D – Active  
** **-Type: [Demonic] / [Destruction] / [Neutral]  
** **-Description: Summons a demonic blob of unstable energy to physically destroy anything it touches.  
** **-Power: 1,668 Damage  
** **-Range: 20 meters**

* * *

Recalling my studying underneath the brown-haired asshole, I determined just what Rias's ability was all about.

[Demonic]...it runs on MP and is weak against [Light]...

[Destruction]...double damage against physical objects...

[Neutral]...no creature has a natural resistance against it...

I grinned as I dismissed the screen.

Swinging my right hand up, with both [Touki] and my new [Shield of Light] covering the backside of it, I easily slapped my shielded appendage against the dark blob. However, the act of doing so immediately destroyed my [Shield]. Luckily, my [Touki] was able to nullify the remaining power, and ended up making it disperse into wisps of black-and-red smoke.

If that situation would've lead to me being in any risk of being severely hurt or out-right dying, Cameron would've stepped in. Thankfully, I'm not in any real danger from Rias so long as I can attack against her demonic magic. If it were to actually hit me directly, though, I would take **massive** damage...

Noting Yumi reaching her right hand up, I leapt backwards to dodge a two-handed great-sword that sprung up out of the ground next to the blonde-haired [Knight] that was precariously...

...aimed at **my chest**.

I knew it, Yumi's a pervert~...

Landing about 7-feet away from Yumi, I looked to see that Rias, Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki were all looking at me with shock on their faces.

"That...how did..." Rias muttered, clenching her fists and glaring at me.

"...Lady Sona...should I?" Tsubaki requested permission, leaning over to whisper to her [King].

"..." Akeno just stood there speechless.

After a moment, though, Sona spoke up. In the dead silence of the room, I could still hear the mumbling words of the black-haired [King].

"No. No, Tsubaki, I don't think that will make a difference. Barring the fact that he hasn't shown any hostile intentions towards us, you saw how fast he was moving. He also didn't seem to be serious when fighting Rias's [Knight] and [Rook]. I think this situation requires more care and respect than we initially thought." she spoke quietly, shaking her head to her [Queen]'s request.

Standing down, Tsubaki just continued staring at me like a hawk while Sona held a hand up in a passive motion.

"I believe that will be quite enough, Mr. Nelson. Any further and I can guarantee that you'll be dealing with **everyone** in this room. However...seeing as you clearly have enough combat prowess to match, if not overpower, a small group of Devils, and yet chose to not fight seriously after having been attacked for seemingly no reason by Ms. Kiba and Ms. Toujou here..." she spoke, clearly attempting to find words that both communicate her desire to end hostilities whilst making sure nobody holds a grudge.

I just waved my free left hand dismissively as I called off [Touki], feeling a small shiver run up my arm from the white milky aura receding into it.

"I appreciate the sentiment I'm hearing, Ms. Sitri. I **did** come here to make what amends I could, but I can't deny that I could have taken it a bit easier against Gremory and her Peerage." I replied, my voice somewhat indifferent and unapologetic...

...though I now have a **very clear** understanding of my position with Rias and her group now. I'm not just a potential threat, I'm clearly viewed as an enemy.

You don't fucking attack someone out of the blue unless they're your **enemy** , after all...

...that's fine. I didn't come here to make friends, after all.

I just came to complete a [Quest] and get the rewards that will help me get stronger.

However...despite being the one that had threatened me at the very beginning, Akeno didn't jump in during the fight whatsoever.

I might just be feeling a little optimistic after getting a boot up my ass concerning my issues with trusting people, but my gut's telling me **she had no idea this was going to happen**.

...I'll need to ask a few questions, but if she really didn't...

Oh, wait...almost forgot. I need to do some fancy-talk to end hostilities right now!

Glancing backwards, I could see the white-haired girl squeezing herself into the corner to get as far away from me as possible with a terrified expression on her face.

Sighing, I just turned back to Sona.

"I'm not quite sure why they felt it prudent to **attack me on sight** , but I'd wager that Gremory had given them explicit orders to do so. I can't really say that I'm feeling super-forgiving right at the moment, considering that I had come here with the sole intent of being peaceful and hopefully nipping this in the bud before it became a **real** problem. Gremory, if there was **ever** a time to be honest and forthright, this is it." I continued, allowing Yumi to get back up and move over to Koneko without causing a fuss.

I did make sure to turn in order to keep her in my peripheral vision, though. I don't fucking trust her to use the guise of helping her friend as a chance to literally stab me in the back.

Not that it would matter much. I didn't take a single point of damage in that whole scrap, and I have some intense back-up literally standing just outside the door now.

Cameron and I had talked to make sure that he would step in if he felt like I was in serious danger of getting hurt. Since I had ways of dealing with the [Power of Destruction], though, it thankfully never came to that.

Because, if he had gotten involved, I'd have to answer even **more** questions...

At this point, Rias just glared at me, before glancing over to her servants in the corner with a fleetingly worried expression before focusing on me once again.

"Honest? Forthright? It's rather convenient that those words are coming from **you** , Mr. Douglas. Before this impromptu meeting, I admit that I had ordered them to exercise extreme caution with anything you do. When they came in, they most likely saw you reaching for me and assumed the worst." she replied, her tone sounding about as honest as it could, coming from an angry teenage girl.

...okay, I'll go ahead and give them that. I haven't really done anything to prove that I'm trustworthy, so assuming the worst was probably the safest bet that she felt she could make.

...but, still...

Looking back to Yumi who was currently cradling and shielding Koneko, I asked the blonde.

"Oi, is that true?" I called out.

The [Knight] just looked to me with a blood smeared face.

"...why would we bother otherwise? Unlike your obvious beliefs, Mr. Douglas, we don't just go out and slaughter humans whenever we please. You've shown yourself to have some form of hostile feelings towards our [King]. Once I entered the room, I just got swept up in the moment." Yumi replied, her voice shaking slightly as she continued to try and comfort the white-haired girl in her arms.

Well, I figured it'd be a good idea to rip off the Band-Aid now, rather than wait until at least a few months after the start of canon to try and get Koneko to move on and embrace her heritage.

It just seemed so stupid to me when I read about her 'trauma' in the light novels, for various reasons...

Shrugging slightly, I dismissed my sword and crossed my arms as I turned back to the group by the desk.

"Fair enough. However, I'd recommend you **never** try to put words in my mouth again. My views towards all of you weren't **that** negative. I'll paint the picture for you. My problem with Gremory, and **her alone** , is rather simple and petulant at its very core. Although her personality is rather annoying in general, I don't have any desire to inflict pain and suffering upon her or your group." I assured them, though I did allow a certain amount of harshness to enter my tone when warning the blonde to not make assumptions about me.

Rias just sighed in frustration.

"You can say that as many times as you please, Mr. Douglas. However, slamming a door in my face i-I admit that **that** was a little more harsh than it needed to be. However, you attempted to forcibly enter my home and intimidate me with your whole Peerage backing you up." I cut Rias off as she brought up what was seemingly a sore point of hers.

...

"Also, don't think I didn't catch your little 'honesty' remarks earlier. I admit that I've lied quite a bit since I first arrived in Japan. It's a terrible habit that I formed due to not trusting people and wanting to keep any sort of inter-personal relationship as shallow and meaningless as possible. However, barring Akeno, I can't really say that I feel any sort of remorse for lying to you people about a few things." I continued, gesturing my head to the black-haired girl who seemed surprised at being called out.

"...me?" the [Queen] muttered, seemingly lost.

Looking towards her, I felt a small lump rise up into my throat. Sighing, I opened my mouth to say something I should've said a week ago.

"I was a little upset about being threatened that night in the alleyway, but the way that I spoke to you wasn't entirely honest. Even though it was a little extreme to issue a subtle torture threat towards me, I'm perfectly aware that I was being pretty damn suspicious that night. I kept popping in and out of existence, and I even came back with an unconscious Valkyrie in my arms. There was certainly enough reason to want to question me about those things, especially if you guys actually **are** responsible for looking after this city. Considering that, I'd like to retract a lot of the things I said before and say that I'd be willing to look past being threatened if you'll forgive me for acting like I was a lot more upset over it than I actually was." I explained before proposing a mutual apology with her.

I've thought over this quite a bit over the past week. I just felt like getting her, and by extension Rias's Peerage, to believe that they were the bad guys would make it a lot less likely for a fight to break out between us should I come to try and make peace. Clearly, that didn't work, and so now I think it would be best to try and salvage the situation as best as I can.

That...

...and I kinda feel like a good first step for me to take here would be to suck up my pride a bit in order to try to make a friend. I don't like being threatened unnecessarily, but holding a severe grudge over it seems rather counter-productive at the moment.

However, I had one final comment to make on the subject...

"Though, for the sake of not having to go through this bullshit again, take good care to not issue subtle threats towards people unless they actually deserve it. I might have been acting suspicious, but it's a little much to just immediately assume that I'm such a terrible person that its permissible to threaten me with torture unless I follow you to an unspecified location where an unknown amount of your allies would be waiting."

Akeno just stood there, seemingly confused about what I was talking about, before a glimmer of recognition came over her face. However, looking over towards the two girls huddled in the corner, it seemed like she felt conflicted.

"Mr. Douglas...I...thank you for saying such things. I understand that you felt threatened at the time, and were trying to keep yourself as safe as possible. I'm...okay with overlooking your so-called 'performance'...but..." she spoke hesitantly, her eyes continuing to dart between me and the two girls.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm not sure what I can do about the cat, besides tell her that she can conquer her fear easily if she is at least willing to practice. However, I can heal the [Knight] fairly easily, if she's okay with not stabbing me. I didn't come here to beat the crap out of a bunch of little girls, after all. That's the honest truth." I proposed, lifting my right hand up and bringing out [Touki] for a second.

The white milky aura just looks so **damn cool**!

However, even though I'm out of touch with most kinds of empathetic capabilities, I'm fairly certain that Koneko is gonna be closed off to the idea of overcoming her fear any time soon. Especially considering that this is before canon, and the wound is likely too fresh.

Looking over to her as I brought out my [Touki], I was further assured of this as her wide fear-stricken eyes seemed to quake in their sockets.

Sighing, I dropped my [Touki] and turned back towards the others.

"I've had quite a few fuck-ups since I came here, but that's my offer. I heal the [Knight], we stop bothering each other, and you call off the execution order." I spoke out to them all, to which Sona and Tsubaki both nodded immediately, seeming to have no reason to refuse. Akeno also agreed rather easily.

Rias, despite taking a moment, simply crossed her arms, sighed and then nodded her head.

"Hah...I suppose. I'm **incredibly** displeased with my [Rook]'s current state, but..." the red-head groaned slightly, looking worriedly over to the white-haired girl before shifting her eyes to the blonde whose head is still bleeding rather heavily.

Looking back over with a curious idea, I looked at Yumi's health...

* * *

 **-HP:** 716/1,217 **-**

* * *

Huh, so bleeding actually does something to non-[Gamer] creatures...?

Good to know.

*whistle*

Giving a sharp whistle to get the blonde's attention, I watched as Rias walked over to take Yumi's place as the 'kitten coddler', giving some very quiet instruction to the [Knight] before focusing on the white-haired girl.

Standing up and walking towards me, wobbling slightly with every step, she got within five feet of me before tripping and falling forward.

Rushing up, as I saw this in a somewhat slow-motion fashion, I grasped underneath her armpits to steady her. However, I kept my eyes peeled for any and all sharp and pointy objects that could come flying out o-...

*boing*

...with the scent of cherry blossoms and the budding cleavage of a 'girl next door' pushing up against my stomach, I ended up being in a pseudo-hug with the blonde gender-bent [Knight].

Oh yeah, almost forgot, girls from this anime all have the looks of supermodels!

*spurt*

As a small squirt of blood appeared on my face, that most definitely came from the wound on the top of her head, I just sighed and brought my right hand up from underneath her armpit before activating my [Hands of Healing].

As she was re-orienting herself to stand up properly, I healed the back and top of her head to peak condition.

Within a few seconds, she was completely healed up...and now standing face-to-face with me...

...from about 5-inches away.

Giving her a firm push and backing away, I quickly established a five-foot barrier of space between us as a clear sign that no 'second-rate romance-anime business' was gonna be happening between us.

I could see a bit of bewilderment pass over her face, but I just kept my expression as deadpan as I could.

"Well, that's one problem solved, at least." I muttered, watching as she then turned and walked towards Rias and Koneko. Amazingly enough, just like me, all the blood that had stained her clothes was absorbed back into her wound when I healed it.

I think the [Game] just does that for convenience, but I'm pretty damn happy that I didn't have to deal with the soul-crushing guilt of ruining some stranger's clothes.

Turning my head to look towards Akeno, I could see a faint smile of amusement.

I just rolled my eyes at her.

"So, as far as I understand this, I'm clear to live in this town without interference as long as I don't cause trouble, right?" I asked Sona, just to make sure that we understood each other.

She just nodded.

"That's right."

"Cool. Then I guess it would be good to go ahead and inform you of a few things..."

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Library**

 **7:30 PM** – **2 Hours and** **43 Minutes Later...**

Sitting at a desk with a computer on top of it that was near the back wall of the library, with a very gorgeous view of the rest of the establishment and its rows upon rows of knowledge-laden shelves, I typed away as I started to do some mild research, which I've been wanting to do since I became a [Gamer].

I'm honestly a little glad that Cameron prompted me to do this, but he seemed to take great care in telling me to make sure to look up a specific topic and 'keep my mind open'...

I'd ask him about it later, if I wasn't currently skimming through a rather...interesting article about it...

* * *

 **-LATEST UPDATE FROM PARANOID CHRONICLER!-**

 **-The Cities That Went Barren!-**

 **-Details:**

 **On August 11, 2016...Nagoya, Japan...Tokyo, Japan...**

 **...an estimated 2.6 Million adults, male and female, seemingly vanished from society without a trace...**

 **...on August 25, 2016...all of them suddenly showed up again without any explanation...**

 **-STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!-**

* * *

...

This...

...wait.

Messaging Cameron, I asked him a question.

* * *

 **Douglas:** I remember that Rossweisse had been missing for a couple of weeks before I became a [Gamer]. Do these disappearances have something to do with **him**?

* * *

I had to wait a moment for my response, to which I chose to keep researching.

However, I took note that I was currently all by myself in the visible portion of the ground floor of the library. There also weren't any noises around when I dismissed the screen...

...except for my computer's fans running.

After about a minute, which was a really long time for Cameron to get back to me, I got an answer...

* * *

 **Cameron:** Yep.

* * *

...

But...that doesn't make any sen-...

Stopping myself from denying any plausible explanation for over 2 million people disappearing without rhyme nor reason, I tried to calm down and think this through.

Cameron just verified that [The Master] was involved in this, right?

Why would he bother gathering up a bunch of weak Humans when he's obviously shown that he has the capability to capture, **seemingly** clone, and induce some form of loyalty in a powerhouse like Serafall Leviathan?

Wait...

...Cameron said something about that. He said that she was, "strategically attacked". Not only that, but she was sucked into a separate dimension where she was suffocated to unconsciousness.

During our fight, he only showed the capability to use all of my 'Skills' and 'Magic'. He also had similar equipment...and a copy of my **[Sacred Gear]**.

My gut's telling me that he didn't do it himself. Unless he has some amazing secret power, he would've had to have some incredibly powerful henchmen with abilities suited towards the task of capturing Serafall do it in his stead.

I've also thought about it before, but if he's able to do whatever he did to Serafall with anyone he gets a hold of...that means he's probably done it with Rossweisse and Lavinia as well.

And, if he's tied into these disappearances, he's most likely done this with them as well...

...but how do you manage to abduct 2.6 million people like that?

...

I'm going to need to do some more in-depth research on this. Specifically, I'll need to find out if the supernatural world is aware of this...and if they are, what they're looking to do about it.

I'll need to be careful, though. I'd obviously be seen as being connected to this in some way, so I should probably continue to keep a low profile, lest I unwittingly confess and end up a prisoner for interrogation.

People will try to solve problems in their own way, after all. Only when they fail, or foresee their own failure, will they even **think** about trusting in someone else's possible solution.

But, disregarding whether or not other people know the specifics of this for the moment, I turned my thoughts back to [The Master].

Why the hell would **he** **_want_** to abduct a bunch of regular Humans...?

...unless...

Remembering back to the multiple Humans I had used [Observe] on when I went shopping with Rossweisse, I groaned deeply in frustration.

Every Human had, even if it was a pitiful amount, an 'MP Gauge'...

If he's capable of inducing loyalty in **2.6 million people**...and he gets them to be trained by **experts** **in multiple kinds of magic**...

... **he's building a motherfucking army**...

...wait...that's not quite right.

If he wanted an **army** , there would be much better choices to pick from than a bunch of regular humans. He's clearly capable of doing better than that, so it would make a lot more sense to go after the grunts of the Factions.

The next thing on the list would be...

...that's actually pretty damn smart.

He's shown a capability to induce loyalty in someone like Serafall, so a bunch of humans should be nothing to him.

Having millions of people with basic magic capabilities...and all of them having the mindset of someone who submits themselves voluntarily to a single person's whims...

That would be one hell of a **labor force**.

However, I get the feeling that he's a person who desires strength, to a degree. He's going to also be going after an army. I have to assume that he's already gotten a hold of quite a few supernatural entities, with three of them being Rossweisse, Lavinia, and Serafall...

...

I then felt a freezing shiver run down my spine as I tried to ponder on how many subjects he already has under his command...

...I have no idea...

...that shit's scary.

Going back into my 'Friends List', I messaged Cameron to see about how long it would take for a regular human to learn magic.

* * *

 **Douglas:** How long does it take for an expert magic-user to teach a Human how to wield their magic power?

 **Cameron:** Depends on a lot of different factors. However, for the different forms of magic from various universes, the most basic magic skills are usually achieved through finding the source/flow of the energy, concentrating on it and learning how to let it take shape outside of the body. Once you do that, simple repetitive practice can yield decent enough results. Combine that with some basic training to increase the amount of magic they have in their bodies, and you have the makings of some amateur-level mages.

 **Cameron:** As far as learning magic systems, which is what your two 'princesses' utilize, it's a lot of studying the formulas for magic circles and magic theory. I'd say within a year, most people can grasp the majority of the basics of a single magic system. A good teacher would certainly help, but not as much as you'd expect.

* * *

...that's...better news than I was expecting...

Just the sheer number of people being trained would be bad enough, but Rossweisse is literally one of the most prodigious magic-users in her age group! If he **has** a clone of her start training them, they'll become a hell of a lot more useful than if they just learn the basics.

Whatever the hell he'll be using them for, they'll be much more productive at it. And I don't want that.

...

...

Hearing the surroundings go quiet, I spoke up...

"You know, I **really** hope you didn't seriously think you were being stealthy. Everyone knows that the Japanese are book-nerds, so the library being **this** desolate is weird enough to put anyone on edge..." I remarked in a loud tone as I lowered my right hand to the computer by my right knee and proceeded to hold the power button down for a few seconds, so as to make it at least a little harder for them to find out what I was looking at.

Forced shutdown, bitches~!

However, I felt incredibly thankful for having purchased [Ki Manipulation]. Learning how to sense the life energy of creatures around me is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I mean, it's not like I can tell the **exact locations** of the **three individuals** that were currently the only other living beings in the library, but I'm more than capable of telling that they're **there**.

After I spoke out, the three individuals came out from behind three different aisles in the library and converged on my position behind the desk in a slow walk. One at 12 o'clock, one at 2 o'clock, and the last at 10 o'clock.

Each one was wearing an eerily familiar black knee-length coat with silver-colored zippers and shit on it. The one on the left was a well-built male standing at about **6'5''**. The one on the right was a female about 5 or 6 inches shorter than me, with a body type that would mark anyone as a 'pedophile' if they so much as bumped into them on a crowded sidewalk. The one in the middle was a female about as tall as me, with a body that possessed the 'classic DxD curves'.

Though...Lavinia's are bigger...

Hell, Rossweisse's are bigger...

...for fuck's sake, **Serafall's** are bigger!

Using [Observe] on all three of them super quickly, I **knew**...

...I was in for a **hell** of a night.

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yep.**

 **Below this, you'll find an updated account of Douglas Roland's Status and Skills/Magic Screens. I made some mistakes with my copies of his 'Inventory Screen', so I'll just leave that out for now. I sold all of his spoils, though, so I'll put his 'Money Count' in his 'Status Screen' for the moment.**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 25, 2014 **(Canon Start: 959 days)  
** **Time:** 7:35:01 PM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 11 Human):** +11 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 90  
 **EXP** : 331,867,044/612,577,743  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute)  
 **KI (DxD):** 6,600/6,600 (+60 KI/minute)

 **STR:** 2,312 (2,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 2,000 (1,910+90+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 2,771 (2,501+270+0+0)  
 **INT:** 700 (700+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 2,288 (1,928+360+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 1,090 (1+990+99)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

 **Money (Yen):** 67,364,560

 **-Skills/Magic-**

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Gamer's Body]** – **LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Gamer's Mind] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Language] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Fiction Adaptation] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Perfect Grip] – LVL: MAX – Passive –**

 **+[Perfect Throw] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Health Regenerator] – LVL: 276 – EXP: 9.5/100% - Passive**

 **+[Second Chance] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Control Stick Physics] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 21/100 – EXP: 54/100% - Active**

 **+[Perfect Memory] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Magic Regenerator] – LVL: 306 – EXP: 37.3/100% - Passive**

 **+[Magic Aura] – LVL: MAX – Active - MP Used:** 10%/minute

 **+[Blessed Looter] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA - Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Block] – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Passive**

 **+[Unarmed Combat Proficiency] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E - Passive**

 **+[Norse Magic Affinity] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Passive**

 **+[Ki Manipulation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP: 61/100% - Rank: D – Passive  
** **-Allows the player to tap into and manipulate the energy of life, known as Ki, that flows through their own bodies and through the bodies of every living thing. By utilizing Ki, the player can perform various feats known as Senjutsu, Genjutsu, Youjutsu. The player, however, is not affected by the absorbed malice that typically serves as the backlash to utilizing the power of Ki.  
** **-Maximum KI Amount: (Base STR)+(Base END)+(Base MAG)  
** **-Base KI Regeneration: 60 KI/Minute  
** **-Access to [Rank: D] 'Skills' and 'Magic' that use KI**

 **+[Ki Meditation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active  
** **-By sitting or standing as still as they can and concentrating, the player can increase the rate at which they recover KI points. The player can be moved by outside forces while this is happening, but they can't initiate it or expend any concentration on it. Any sensory-based 'Skills' or 'Magic' that require Ki that the player knows will automatically activate when this ability is used, even if the player hasn't bought the abilities from the 'Store'.  
** **-KI Regeneration Rate Increase: 2x**

 **-Magic-**

 **+[Observe] – LVL: 229 – EXP: 30/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP

 ** **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 28 – EXP: 80/100% – Active – Cost:**** 40 MP

 **+[ID: Escape] – LVL: MAX – Active – Cost:** 0 MP

 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 60-'?' MP

 **+[Norse Magic: Hands of Healing] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 50 MP/second

 **+[Norse Magic: Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 100 MP per chain

 **+[Norse Magic: Shield of Light] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 80 MP/second  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Light] / [Shield]  
** **-Allows the player to create a shield of light on any vector around their bodies.  
** **-Toughness: (MAG*0.2+100)  
** **-Limit: 1 shield  
** **-Size: 1 meter  
** **-Range: 1 foot**

 **+[Touki] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP: 61/100% - Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 45 KI/second  
 **-Increases STR, END, and AGI by 50% when unarmed.  
** **-If you are about to receive non-magical damage, if the amount that you will receive is less than the amount of END you gain from using this ability, the damage is reduced by 1/2.  
** **-Capable of nullifying magical attacks via unarmed attacks so long as the damage that the attack will cause is equal to or lower than the combined increases you gain while using this ability.**


	18. Chapter 15 - Goodbye Japan!

**Anyways, here's Chapter 15...**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I own nothing but the original characters and plot-lines in this story. Everything else is owned by...whoever its owned by.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Goodbye, Japan!**

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Library**

 **7:38 PM – 3 Minutes Later...**

*fwap*

*CRASH*

Slamming my fist downwards as I flew through the air, I ended up blasting the **6'5''** male figure **through** one of the bookcases near the side wall of the ground floor of this fine library.

"Buwah!?" he grunted as his form tore through the reinforced wood shelves, scattering books and paper up into the air.

Using [Air Jump], I then shot up towards the top of the wall he was near to dodge a [Spear of Light] thrown by the medium-sized female that was floating behind me...

...with the **wings of a raven** keeping her aloft.

Two more sets of the same wings graced the backs of both the male and smaller female who was currently pulling herself free of a [Chain] that I had used to attach her to the ceiling of the two-story library.

Landing onto the wall, I withdrew my sword from my 'Inventory' and stabbed it into the wall in order to let me stick there for a moment as I surveyed the situation.

Within the past three minutes, the four of us have fought ferociously inside of the library. Around two dozen of the bookcases on the ground floor were, at least partially, destroyed with books and scattered pages littering the ground around them.

The walls had a few singed pockmarks where some stray [Spears of Light] missed me. I also had a few gashes on my arms from where I attempted to block a few that came a bit too close for comfort.

Who knew that trying to deflect sharpened projectiles made of compressed light with my bare flesh would present some slight difficulties?

Even with [Touki] and my **[Twice Critical]** , I've had a couple of close calls with those things.

They just fly **so fucking fast**...

Looking to all three of the black figures I was fighting, I gave a once over to their HP...

 **(((Note: First one is medium-sized female, second one is male, third one is small female.)))**

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:**?  
 **Age:** ?  
 **Race:** ?  
 **Affiliation:** [The Master]

 **LVL:** 86  
 **HP:** 32,356/35,071  
 **MP:** 29,976/31,338

 **STR:** 2,766  
 **END:** 3,656  
 **AGI:** 3,773  
 **INT:** 1,476  
 **MAG:** 3,012  
 **LUK:** 8,769

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:**?  
 **Age:** ?  
 **Race:** ?  
 **Affiliation:** [The Master]

 **LVL:** 54  
 **HP:** 16,813/21,959  
 **MP:** 2,931/4,945

 **STR:** 3,166  
 **END:** 3,251  
 **AGI:** 2,643  
 **INT:** 421  
 **MAG:** 884  
 **LUK:** 4,799

* * *

 **-OBSERVED**

 **Name:**?  
 **Age:** ?  
 **Race:** ?  
 **Affiliation:** [The Master]

 **LVL:** 50  
 **HP:** 6,552/10,286  
 **MP:** 9,167/15,009

 **STR:** 2,112  
 **END:** 2,352  
 **AGI:** 2,786  
 **INT:** 6,972  
 **MAG:** 3,486  
 **LUK:** 6,110

* * *

Drawing my sword from the wall, I leapt back down to the ground. I kept an eye on the currently flying girl and her smaller female companion that brought out an orange magic circle and aimed it at the spot where the [Chain] was anchored into the ceiling.

Activating it, a flash of golden-orange fire came out of it, the wooden boards above her were turned to ash in an instant. Righting herself in the air after coming free of the anchor, she flew down to be beside her flying female friend. As she did, I allowed the [Chain] to disperse, as I might need another one here in a moment...

By this time, the male had also picked himself out of the crushed and broken bookcase, spitting some blood onto the ground beside him from out of his shadow-covered mouth.

Putting my sword away and getting into a defensive stance, I readied myself for another bout with the three **Fallen Angels** that had most likely been sent by [The Master].

...although, I'm still unsure as to what they're actually doing here. They didn't exactly chat me up when they approached me earlier. After I had called them out, they just attacked me all at once.

Taking a small moment to look to my 'HUD', which I haven't really paid attention to for quite some time, I took note of my own standing as far as HP goes...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 4,322/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute) **-  
** **-MP:** 4,169/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute) **-  
** **-KI (DxD):** 6,002/6,600 (+60 KI/minute) **-**

* * *

Considering I only have a few gashes on my arms, that's not...terrible.

Activating my [Hands of Healing], I grabbed onto my left elbow and healed away all the damage that I had taken, watching all of the gashes close up within a second.

Seeing me heal myself, the male rushed forward on the ground with his wings tucked in while the smaller female brought out her orange magic circle again.

Summoning a purple colored [Spear of Light], the male attempted to thrust it straight through my guard.

Stretching my left hand forward and angling it, I deflected the spear away from me while swinging my now free right fist straight towards his stomach.

Catching my fist in his free hand, the male then attempted to kick upwards at me, to which I brought out my [Shield of Light]...

*CRACK*

...before it shattered in an instant from the force behind a **3,000+ STR** **kick** from someone who's obviously been trained in martial combat. However, it managed to stall his attack long enough for me to duck down, allowing his foot to sail over my head harmlessly.

*whoosh*

Hearing the sound of flames being summoned from further behind him, I acted quickly and grabbed a hold of the front of his coat as he tried to flap his wings to get away.

I managed to stop him from doing so, and held him there as the flames came straight at his back. Bringing his spear around, he attempted to slice off my hands. Summoning another [Shield] along with my [Touki], I shoved my left hand up and barely managed to block the attack straight on...

*CRACK*

*schlick*

"Mmph!?" I yelped through my clenched teeth as I felt a searing pain shoot up my arm as the blade of the spear slid off my **[Twice Critical]** and embedded itself into my forearm, sending a spray of blood flying between us.

However, the weapon stopped just shy of cutting off my arm and seemed to be slightly stuck there, being gripped tightly by whatever tendons were left in my arm tensing tightly.

With my [Touki] adding enough of a boost to my STR, I managed to keep hold of him even as he tried desperately to move away. Considering our size difference, I could barely see the approaching flames approaching from behind him until a split-second before they impacted against his back.

*WHOOOOSH*

"GYAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!" the male screamed out in agony as both of his wings, along with his entire backside, was hit full-on from the blast of [Unholy Flare] that the smaller female had unleashed.

* * *

 **-? (Male)-  
** **-HP:** 11,970/21,959 **-  
** **-MP:** 2,831/4,945 **-**

* * *

Releasing my tight grip on his black coat, I quickly pulled my right fist back and sent it slamming into the middle of his stomach with my [Touki] still active.

"AHHHH-Goooh!?" he doubled over as he was still screaming from the pain caused to him by his friend's attack.

Flying backward from the force behind my punch, I summoned a [Chain] that shot out and attached to him just before he left the 2-meter range of it. Body bending from the rapid changes in momentum, the [Chain] was pulled taut and I was jerked forward a single step.

"HhhrrraaaaaAAGGGHHHHHHH!" I yelled out, partially from the pain of his [Spear] tearing off the remainder of my left arm as he was sent back, as I grounded myself as best as I could before tugging on the [Chain] **hard**.

Swinging my arm around, I flailed the male's body in a full arc around me like a rag-doll in a poorly-made physics game.

Bringing him around and aiming for the middle of a still-standing bookcase, I released the [Chain] and sent the male flying through the air at nearly twice the speed he was originally traveling.

*BOOM*

*CRASH*

Blasting through the middle of the structure, the male tumbled for a moment amongst a cloud of up-thrown books as his face collided with the edge of the bookshelf behind the one he went clean through.

*DING*

With a dull ringing sound echoing throughout the room, I watched as the male slumped to the ground for a moment as blood sprayed profusely from the shadowed portion of his face.

I also noticed that the back of his coat was in the process of mending itself. His black wings were charred and barren in places, clearly being incapable of hoisting any sort of meaningful weight into the air ever again.

Reaching down and picking up my detached left hand that had fallen to the ground at my feet, I jumped away from the spot I was standing on as another gout of fire and a pair of green-colored [Spears of Light] came down upon my location.

Holding my left hand to my wound, I activated [Hands of Healing]. Cameron had taught me this little trick which makes it **way** faster to heal missing limbs.

Within a few seconds, I had healed back all 653 HP that I had lost from that attack and had gotten my arm back in fully-functioning condition.

Hopping from wall to wall, using [Air Jump] a few times, I dodged multiple more [Spears of Light] thrown at me by the two females.

Looking between all three of them, I ran over what I knew so far of their fighting styles.

Little girl, **Mage**.

Big guy, **Fighter**.

Medium-sized girl... **fairly inactive**.

...

That's slightly unsettling, but not altogether unpleasant. I've been trying to find out the best time to activate my **[Twice Critical]** to take out at least one of them, if not both of the weaker ones, and I've possibly found it.

You know, with one of them being incapacitated for the moment...

With the medium-sized female being near the little girl, though...I might have to potentially take another hit in order to take out the midget. I shouldn't aim for the medium-sized girl, though, even if she'll definitely become a pain in the ass when she starts actively participating in the fight.

Landing on a wall with a clear line of sight to the floor, I activated **[Twice Critical]** 's main ability, and went flying down towards the male slumped over on the floor while shooting a spread of six [Arrows of Fire] at the females to distract them...

Considering my MAG becomes **4,576** when I'm [Boosted], I'm likely to do around 81-93 points of damage with each [Arrow] due to their MAG scores being superior to my own.

Turns out that having MAG gives you an incredibly good natural defense against magic attacks.

Go figure.

Both of the females successfully dodged the rather slow [Arrows].

Curse their main drawback of low speed~!

However, I successfully managed to keep them from spawning [Spears] and rushing forward to attack me while I flew through the air towards their downed ally.

Bringing out my [Touki], which I keep on repeatedly turning 'on' and 'off' whenever I need it in order to conserve KI, I brought my right fist back and slammed it down into the back of the prone male's skull.

*CRACK*

*Squelch*

Having my fist sink inwards slightly, I pulled back my other fist and punched at the same spot again, though I also heard the sound of a magic circle being brought out around this time.

Throwing my next attack at the prone male's head...

*CRACK*

*Squelch*

At this point, I attempted to grab the coat of the male that had finished repairing itself, in a manner similar to my clothes, and prepare myself to throw him into his friend's atta-...

*SCHLICK*

"Gahagh!?" I let out a sickly grunt as a new wound was created in my abdomen by a green-colored [Spear of Light] that pierced into me from behind.

*Psssshhhh*

As the [Spear] disappeared from sight after having fulfilled its intended purpose, a large spray of blood came out of the hole it. I lurched forward slightly as I was reaching down to pick up the male's body due to the ungodly pain that erupted throughout my torso, only matched by the pain I've felt in my countless spars against Cameron.

Looking to my 'HUD', I saw my HP gauge...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 3,641/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute) **-  
** **-MP:** 3,676/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute) **-  
** **-KI (DxD):** 5,817/6,600 (+60 KI/minute) **-**

* * *

Nearly 1,000 points of damage from what was almost certainly a critical hit due to having hit a major organ, eh?

Ffffuuuuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkk mmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee...

I might have had to rely on [Second Chance] if I wasn't [Boosted]...

Knowing that something potentially worse was coming, I gnashed my teeth together and pushed onward to pick up the male who wasn't doing so well...

* * *

 **-? (Male)-  
** **-HP:** 4,661/21,959 **-  
** **-MP:** 2,831/4,945 **-**

* * *

Grabbing onto the back of his neck, I heard the roaring sounds of the little girl's [Unholy Flare] coming out of the magic circle towards my back from above.

Giving a firm yank, I spun around and threw the body of the male where I thought the blast would be coming from...

...and I was right.

Keeping my hand open, I sent four more [Arrows of Fire] at his flying body to ensure that this would **finish him off**...

...wait a second...

Before I could think to stop myself, I had already launched the [Arrows] out, to which they found their mark in several places on his torso. Exploding in a plume of fire, I watched his HP gauge go down significantly...

...from my attacks, he dropped to **3,029 HP**...

...and when the violent [Unholy Flare] or golden-orange flame hit him, he dropped to **0 HP**...

...

...Looking up to the two females still flying, I felt the cold numbness and adrenaline pump through me as I understood that I effectively just **murdered somebody**...

Honestly...it didn't really feel any different than shooting a squirrel. He attacked me, presumably with the intent to kill, so it felt...

...it felt kinda hard to really care all that much. He was also connected to [The Master], and I would **welcome** the chance to kill **him** when he shows up again.

I'm just a terrible person, I guess.

Holding my right hand to the wound on my stomach, I activated [Hands of Healing] again in order to get it patched up. Thankfully, my MAG was still [Boosted], so I could heal this in less than three seconds.

I still had five seconds left on my [Boost].

The females both seemed to stay affixed in the air, hovering on their 'oh-so-precious wings'.

Jumping towards the little one while I was still healing myself, even though it made me bite my tongue a little at the soreness I felt from the act, I got all the way back to full by the time I got to their position in the air.

Swinging my **[Twice Critical]** upwards, I blocked the medium-sized girl's newly-summoned green [Spear of Light] that she stabbed toward my chest. The change in momentum also knocked it upward and out of my path, to which I could focus on the little girl whose own orange [Spear] was brought up in a defensive position to protect her torso and head.

Activating [Touki] in mid-air, I punched forward and shattered her [Spear] in an instant, before continuing with the momentum and clocking her in the face.

*BANG*

*Crunch*

Hearing a satisfying sound come from what I assume is her jaw, I ended up blasting the little girl towards the ground with my punch.

Keeping an eye on the 'HUD', I looked to see how much HP she had...

* * *

 **-? (Smaller Female)-  
** **-HP:** 4,132/10,286 **-  
** **-MP:** 5,310/15,009 **-**

* * *

Woohoo for a grand STR score of **5,780** ~!

Using [Air Jump] to quickly close in on the little girl that is traveling towards the ground at breakneck speed, I pulled back my left fist to deliver a final blow as she was nearly at the ground...

 ***BANG***

Slamming my gauntlet straight into the shadow surrounding her face, I drove her 'likely' **pretty little head** into the ground underneath her, sending quite the shock to the floorboards underneath the carpet.

*crack* *crack* *crack*

*crack* *crack* *crack*

* * *

 **-? (Smaller Female)-  
** **-HP:** 1,209/10,286 **-  
** **-MP:** 5,310/15,009 **-**

* * *

Bringing my sword out quickly and disabling [Touki], since it doesn't help with my sword attacks, I swung at her neck with a single hand, beheading her hooded head in an instant. At the same time, I turned my gaze over to the still flying girl. Quickly swinging my sword in front of me, I barely managed to catch the shaft of the spear coming straight towards my torso.

*SHIN*

Getting into a weapon lock against the sole surviving female from the group, I could feel my feet scrape against the ground as my arms wobbled against the sheer force that she was exerting on her weapon. As the [Spear] scraped along the blade of my sword, small green sparks of light popped off and flew in many different directions.

Quickly parrying each other's weapons away, we then jumped away from each other to gain some space.

Waving her free hand at me, the female created a glowing green magic circle about a foot in diameter that shimmered with layers upon layers of runic inscriptions. A shining light then emanated from it for a split-second, to which I reacted by leaping away from my current position towards the cover of a still-standing bookshelf.

*zzzzzttttttt*

*BOOM*

...just before the area I was standing at was hit by a single bolt of green lightning that exploded when it made contact, sending pieces of burnt wood and dust up into the air around it.

Getting my cover, I hid while looking back at where I was to notice a gaping hole in the floor about 5-feet wide where the carpet and flooring was just **gone** , leaving only a small view of the concrete foundation of the building.

...

Alright, I sorta figured this out already, but this lady is gonna be a real pain in the neck. If she was only faster than I was, then the smart thing to do would be to run and wait for [Boost] to come back, since I lost it almost immediately after killing the little girl. However, I saw how fast that bolt of lightning traveled.

I would **not** be able to dodge that if it had a bead on me when it fired.

*zzztttt*

*BOOM*

Leaping to the side at the sound I heard come from directly above me, since I had already predicted it to be a likely move that a ranged flyer would make against me in this area, I **narrowly** dodged a second bolt of verdant cackling energy that hit the ground and exploded again, causing a sincere amount of damage to the bookshelf I was hiding against as well.

Swerving around several bookshelves, making sure to keep a mental track of where she was now flying about in the room, I managed to keep out of her eyesight for the most part. Anytime she did see me, though, I was forced to evade yet another streak of green energy.

Looking to my 'HUD' after about twenty seconds of this game of 'cat-and-mouse', I tried to see if doing this was tiring her out at all...

* * *

 **-? (Medium Female)-  
** **-HP:** 32,356/35,071 **-  
** **-MP:** 27,163/31,338 **-**

* * *

Eh... **a** **little bit**.

However, as my heart was beating in my chest at a hundred miles an hour, I doubted that I'd even have enough patience to attempt to keep this up any longer.

For the first time in a while, I was enjoying myself!

Ducking behind the librarian's desk near the front doors to the library, I felt the hair on top of my head get singed when the bolt struck and burned through a portion of the desk above me. Glancing up and out through the now empty, smoking hole that was burned into the desk, I saw the black wings holding her aloft in the center of the room, about 80-feet or so away from me.

Looking down to my left hand to where the red gauntlet laid, I just smirked.

Using my currently bent knees as leverage, I leapt up and out from behind cover. The female attempted to take aim again, but she obviously wasn't expecting me to willingly leave my hiding spot. Her hand raised slowly as I soared towards the ceiling. Flipping in mid-air, I landed on the stonework before jetting towards the wall to the right of her.

As her hand tracked me through the air, she tried using her ability again...

*zzzttt*

*BOOM*

"Ngh!?" I grunted as it passed near my rib-cage, searing my flesh slightly as it continued to sail downwards and smack into a destroyed bookshelf, vandalizing it to the point where you couldn't even tell it used to be a bookshelf at all.

Landing on the wall, I activated [Touki] and then charged directly at her, my feet actually fracturing the stone wall somewhat.

As she tried to prepare another lightning attack, I used [Air Jump] to jump towards the area below her before using it again to zig-zag back up to her, catching her by surprise as she attempted to keep up with my movements that were enhanced by [Touki] with her hand.

Swinging my fist upwards as I flew up from underneath her, I clocked her right in the chin.

*pow*

Doing a spin in mid-air, I then sent a kick into her mid-section.

*wham*

Following through on the kick's momentum, I sent her flying towards the large rectangular glass pane that was situated above the front doors to the library.

*flap*

*flap*

Giving a few heavy beats of her wings, she stopped her momentum in that direction before taking off and flying up and around the room. Deactivating [Touki] and using [Air Jump], I managed to make it to the back wall before using my sword as an anchor to hold me there. I then turned around to see her now flying straight at me with a green [Spear of Light] in her hand, ready to shish kabob me.

Dropping all of my weight onto my sword, forcing it to tilt like a lever, I dodged the stab that was going for my heart. I then swung my leg up and kicked the girl again in the stomach whilst using the momentum of twisting my body to do so in order to yank my sword free. Bringing both of my legs back in towards me, I let out another [Air Jump] to get back to the ground.

As I suspected. She's got good 'Stats', but her understanding of fighting is fairly straightforward and almost stale. She obviously doesn't expect stylish moves, nor does she expect enemies to counter from disadvantageous positions.

Flying towards me again, she attempted to engage me once again. I, in kind, leapt towards another wall in order to force her to follow me.

Bringing my sword around, we began to repeatedly clash weapons as we both flew through the air...

*clink* *clang* *clang*

Leaping from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, we just continued to trade offense and defense like they were shitty trading cards.

*clang* *clink* *clang* *clang* *clink* *clang*

*clang* *clink* *clink* *clink* *clang* *clang*

*clang* *clink* *clang* *clang* *clink* *clang*

*clang* *clink* *clink* *clink* *clang* *clang*

*clang* *clink* *clang* *clang* *clink* *clang*

*clang* *clink* *clink* *clink* *clang* *clang*

*zzzttt*

Reaching forward with my free hand as she attempted to give me a bolt to my chest, I grabbed forearm and forcibly pushed it away, making the bolt fly off and hit the ceiling behind us.

*BOOM*

Getting rid of my sword, I activated [Touki] before slamming my right fist into her stomach, to which she just grunted and grabbed onto my arm with her free hand before yanking, pulling me underneath her.

Considering we're currently horizontally floating in the room, it shouldn't be hard to tell that I'm now being dangled in the air by this bitch.

Dispersing her [Spear of Light], that she's had to remake a number of times due to me breaking them repeatedly in our clashes, she held her now free hand out to me and created a familiar green magic circle.

Clenching my abs, I swung my legs up and used [Air Kick] just before she fired. As the momentum of my ability forced me to fly in a circle to up and over the female, I could feel a searing numbness enter my left leg from where I was partially hit by the bolt.

Looking to my HP...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland-  
** **-HP:** 4,282/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute) **-  
** **-MP:** 3,176/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute) **-  
** **-KI (DxD):** 4,921/6,600 (+60 KI/minute) **-**

* * *

Alright, that wasn't too awful bad for a partial hit.

Once I was over the female, I activated [Touki] again and started wailing on her with punches and kicks. She was forced to let go of my arm as I did this, to which I used that arm to also wail on her as we both began to clumsily fall to the ground.

Once we were about ten feet above the ground, I reached out and grabbed onto her before using my last current [Air Jump] to give us some extra momentum to speed towards the ground. This whole time, she seemed to be trying to shake off the blows, but she didn't seem to be able to. As we approached the ground, I cocked an arm back before slamming it down into her stomach at the same time as when her body made contact with the floor.

*BANG*

*CRASH*

"Gahagh!?" the woman loudly gagged, a large blob of blood spilling out of her mouth as her body seemed to cave against my fist as it was nailing her into the cracked and shattered remains of the flooring she was laying in.

* * *

 **-? (Medium Female)-  
** **-HP:** 24,369/35,071 **-  
** **-MP:** 24,674/31,338 **-**

* * *

"You fucked up by coming here, girl!" I shouted at her as I then activated [Boost] again, since the 'cool-down timer' had just finished counting down.

I then stood back up and slammed my foot that had **5,780** **STR** behind it into her stomach that I had just punched. She just hacked and coughed from the repeated abuse of her organs where she lay.

Taking my foot off of her, I bent over and grabbed her coat by the scruff of its neck before swinging to the side, throwing her body like a rag-doll through the air towards a shattered bookshelf that had a bunch of pieces of wood sticking out in precarious positions...

*schlick* *schlick* *schlick*

"AAAHHHH!" she screamed as her body was impaled on various pieces of wood. There were two pieces that were long enough that they ended up sticking out of her shoulder and the lower-left portion of her rib-cage.

Walking over to her, I could clearly hear the blood rushing through my ears and the adrenaline racing through my body that's been present ever since the beginning of this fight with the three figures. My fingers trembled slightly as I neared the female, ready to grab a hold of my sword at a moment's notice in order to continue fighting.

Once I got up to her, I grabbed a hold of the slack arm that was connected to her impaled shoulder and gave it a rough yank.

"Gnnhhh!?" she whimpered as her wound was torn open. Continuing to pull, though, since I was aiming for a particular noise, I managed to hear a satisfying sound come from her shoulder.

*crick*

*pop*

"Ngh...ghn...hah...hah..." she cried lightly as her shoulder was dislocated.

Letting go of her arm, I raised my foot up and gave a good ol' donkey kick to her pretty little temple, causing her head to snap to the side in an almost sickening fashion.

"..." she took that one quietly, before her head slumped slightly.

Moving to be in front of her, as I was now nearing the end of my [Boost], I lifted my leg and placed it on her stomach before pressing her further onto the piece of wood impaling her torso.

"...hah..."

* * *

 **-? (Medium Female)-  
** **-HP:** 4,114/35,071 **-  
** **-MP:** 24,674/31,338 **-**

* * *

"Hey, you still conscious, sweet-cheeks?" I asked somewhat mockingly as I reached down and ripped the hood off of her head, revealing a mane of messy white hair and green eyes with blood smeared all over a mature-ish female face with porcelain skin.

Doesn't look familiar...

Activating [Hands of Healing], I began healing myself as I looked to her 'Observed Screen' again...

* * *

 **-OBSERVED-**

 **Name:** Hada  
 **Age:** 231  
 **Race:** Servant – Fallen Angel  
 **Affiliation:** [The Master]

 **LVL:** 86  
 **HP:** 4,114/35,071  
 **MP:** 24,674/31,338

 **STR:** 2,766  
 **END:** 3,656  
 **AGI:** 3,773  
 **INT:** 1,476  
 **MAG:** 3,012  
 **LUK:** 8,769

* * *

"Hada..." I mumbled as I finished healing myself to full, noting that it seems I was correct.

These coats weren't meant as some sort of silly reference. They actually serve a practical purpose. Namely, keeping these people's identities secret from me.

Seeing a little sliver of something sticking out from her blood-soaked cleavage, since females seem to think it a storage area, I reached down and unabashedly grabbed it. Removing it, it turned out to be an envelope sealed in a plastic baggie.

...

Putting that into my 'Inventory' for later, I knelt down to look at Hada, who was now keeping her head bowed and her eyes averted, as if she had been caught stealing cookies or something.

"Why did you come here, Hada? What did [The Master] tell you to do?" I asked, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

The girl flinched slightly when I said her name louder this time, but eventually just settled on bowing her head more.

Reaching my hand out, I roughly grabbed her chin and forced her head up to look at me, to which I saw green eyes shimmer at me with slight traces of fear and anxiety, but mostly with defiance.

"When I ask, you answer...What. Did. He. Say?" I emphasized each word with a pat on her pristine cheek.

"...do you think she screamed?" I heard her mature female voice respond.

...

"I base a lot of my decisions off my gut. And it tells me you don't know shit." I remarked nonchalantly as I stood up and took my sword out. I could see the girl's eyes go wide for a moment as the weight of my words seemed to actually hit her.

"N-No wait! I-I-I d-do kno-!"

*Schlich*

*plop*

And with that, I beheaded the white-haired girl with nary a second thought. As her head settled down, I could see it locked in a state of perpetual fear as the green eyes became glassy.

Her whole body ended up slumping against the broken wooden frame it was impaled on. However, after a moment, the body simply vanished into black vapor in a manner similar to the monsters I encounter when I use my [ID: Create] ability.

I then looked towards where the other two bodies were to find that they had also vanished into black smoke.

The entire library then seemed to start shimmering with little bits of golden energy before everything, in an instant, seemed to shift. Everything that was broken in the fight was instantly fixed, everything misplaced was returned, and every trace that the fight even happened simply disappeared like it was never there.

As this happened, a golden screen popped up in front of me...

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 4

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -After having dispatched three hooded enemies who attempted to kill you, you found a hidden message on one of their bodies! Do you choose to follow whatever direction you've been given by the mysterious messenger? Or do you choose to ignore it and forge your own path?

 **Difficulty Level:** '5' (Medium-Rare)

 **Objectives:  
** -Read the letter.  
-Increase Race Rank to 35+.

-'?''

 **Bonus Objectives:  
** _-'?'_

 **Time Limit:** 6 Months

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+5)  
-x5 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x5 'Magic' Store Tokens

- _'?'_

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -'?'

 **Accept?  
**

 **+Yes  
**

 **+No**

* * *

...

I honestly should've expected that.

Putting my sword and my **[Twice Critical]** away, I accepted the [Quest] before pulling out the envelope in the baggy.

Opening it up cautiously, I peered inside for any kinds of normal traps you'd expect from mail. And I found one.

The most dreaded of traps...

...the **letter**.

Opening up the letter with trepidation coursing through my fingertips, I began reading.

...

And immediately narrowed my eyes.

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy – Outside**

 **9:00 PM – 1 Hour and 17 Minutes Later...**

"Now **this**... **THIS** is about the most 'Doug-like' idea I could've imagined you coming up with! Man, the shit you come up with when you panic is **amazing**!" Cameron excitedly whispered to me as we both carried a large black duffel bag towards the second-story window to the Student Council Office.

Not as if I couldn't carry it by myself, but I wanted an accomplice. It just wouldn't feel right without one...

Shushing my brown-haired slave's comments, I glanced upward to see the window about 25 feet or so off the ground.

Unzipping the mouth of the bag slowly, I glanced inside at the unconscious Devil King that has been considered 'kidnapped' for the past few days and silently cried on the inside.

Reaching into the pocket of my shiny new **Long-Sleeved Hoodie (Black) (Basic)** that both me and Cameron were dressed in to hide our identities, I pulled out a small silver locket attached to a chain. The locket itself was nothing special. It just had a small sapphire embedded on the front.

On the back, was a small inscription...

* * *

 _ **You're Welcome,**_

 _ **Mr. Pepper Jack**_

* * *

Hearing a small snort of laughter, I just glared at Cameron who suddenly turned his eyes to the sky as if he was just star-gazing at the clear night sky.

However, with light pollution being a bitch in Japan, you can't see the stars...

Slipping the locket into the bag haphazardly, I just groaned in frustration when the piece of jewelry slid right into the child-like girl's cleavage.

Cameron, stop giving me a fucking 'thumbs-up' for that shit!

Reaching inside the bag and affixing the small mouth fixture to the extremely powerful female Devil's mouth, I made sure that she would be able to breathe when we closed the bag.

Zipping up the bag, Cameron and I hefted it up again before we gave it a small swing...

...swing...

...swing...

...SWING...

Letting go of the bag on our last swing, I watched as the occupied duffel bag flew through the air towards the window and...

*CRASH*

" **Run like balls, mutherfackah!** " Cameron **screamed** to high heavens as we both bolted away from the scene.

Considering the asshole running beside me is comically jogging in an incredibly slow pace and easily keeping up with my all-out sprint, I have to assume that Cameron is participating as he is just for the sprinkle-covered shits and giggles.

Glancing back, I could clearly make out the long black-haired girl that had jumped out of the room only a few seconds after the initial crash.

Wearing the same school uniform I saw her in before, Tsubaki began to gave chase to me and...

...glancing to my side, I found a distinct lack of 'smug asshole' permeating the air next to me.

Continuing to run, noting that I was faster than Tsubaki, I eventually made it to the ten-foot high stone gates that surround the perimeter of the school grounds. Leaping up, I parkoured over the top of the wall before quickly making my way down the street to my left.

*clop* *clop*

Hearing a distinct sound of wooden shoes hit the concrete from about 20 feet away, I gave a discreet glance over to find that Tsubaki had jumped clear over the wall as well and was looking around for where I went.

Finally spotting me, she sprinted to catch up.

Making my way down several different streets, zigzagging and attempting to dodge out of the way of any Human civilians that were probably just trying to enjoy an evening walk, I ended up making my way to the outside of my house within minutes...

Thank GOD, I was wearing a hoodie and a black bandanna to cover my facial features. Considering I didn't go below my top speed for most of that run, and I had already mapped out where most of them were, I most likely managed to keep out of view of any sort of traffic or walkway surveillance cameras.

If I wasn't careful about it, I'd have to possibly face the wrath of the supernatural world for blowing the secret that there are things out there that are stronger and faster than Humans.

However, I'm fairly certain they have ways of making such things disappear, should they not have any sort of idea as to who I am.

Darting down a few different alleyways, I managed to find a secluded spot. Quickly taking off the hoodie and bandanna, I materialized a small bag of groceries from my 'Inventory' as added measure before stepping out onto a nearby walkway towards the direction of my home in a casual way.

After a few minutes of walking, I managed to make it to the front door of my house without coming into contact with Tsubaki, or any other Devils that might have been chasing the perpetrator.

Entering through the front door to my house, I saw Cameron leaning against the threshold to the kitchen. He just stared at me with a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

"Smooth, Doug. **Real** smooth." he remarked, before his eyes quirked up as I immediately pointed to the open doorway behind me with an expectant expression after I entered the living room.

He just sighed tiredly before vanishing from where he stood, leaving no trace of his presence.

Closing the front door, I started to put my 'groceries' away before bringing up my 'Crib Screen'.

Time to get to work on remodeling this place...and relocating.

* * *

 **Douglas's Crib – Rossweisse's Room (General POV)**

 **11:54 PM – Around 3 Hours or so later...**

Inside of the quiet bedroom, a lone silver-haired teenage girl slept in the middle of a queen-sized bed...

... **was** sleeping...

...well, **currently** , she was waking up.

Sitting up in her bed from a rather nice long rest, something that she hadn't had for almost a week, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned loudly.

"mmph...aaaah~!" she sleepily breathed out, her muscles relaxing in the comfortable sweat suit that she wore when going to bed. Shifting slightly, the girl attempted to shimmy out of her familiar **twin-sized** bed that she had bought for a rather nice discount.

She had to shimmy a little further than she remembered, though. Perhaps she had woken up on the opposite side of the bed?

Strange, but not altogether unpleasant.

Cracking open her eyes that had recently gone on a journey through her own dreams that detailed a satisfying one-sided fight with a familiar foe that would always get the silver-haired girl's blood boiling, the Valkyrie-in-training was looking forward to continue reading through the new book on magic theory that her grandmother had graciously provided her with...

...only to see an alabaster-covered wall with intricate golden embroideries going along the top and bottom of the 12-foot tall wall, soft purple-colored velvet carpeting covering the floors, an 8-foot tall glass window situated in the wall to her right, a dresser and wardrobe made of fine mahogany sitting against the wall opposite her, a mahogany door to her left and a small marble night-table with a 2-foot tall lamp sat next to the...

...much larger bed covered in soft deep-purple cotton sheets and a dark-blue quilt with a picture of a crescent moon sewn into the middle of it.

"...no..." the silver-haired girl muttered as her mind immediately shook off as much of the grogginess and comfort that she had possessed as she attempted to concoct some sort of explanation as to **what** was currently happening...

... **where** she currently was.

Standing up, Rossweisse managed to see, just under the ruffled up and disheveled quilt she was sleeping under, a hint of fresh **familiar** clothing peeking out from underneath the fabric.

Reaching down and uncovering it, she saw the baggy white t-shirt and baggy blue denim jeans in all their glory, folded up at the end of her bed.

However, her lifting of the quilt managed to dislodge what looked to be a white piece of paper that had affixed itself to the fabric that fluttered quietly to the floor. Reaching down and picking it up, Rossweisse read the contents.

* * *

 _ **Dearest Rossweisse,**_

 _ **As you've probably guessed by now, you're in my home again. Everything's alright, but if you would, please get some fresh clothes on and go to the door on the right on the other side of the hallway. Inside, there will be a blonde girl sleeping with a giant statue of ice on the floor. I'd really appreciate if you could check in on her. If you're hungry, there's food in the kitchen, and if you head out of your room, the bathroom's on the left.**_

 _ **If the blonde-haired girl's awake, please bring her along and use the elevator connected to the living room to come on down to 'Floor B3'. If she's not, then please wait until she is. I have quite a bit to explain, but I'd rather only do it once.**_

 _ **Again, I will iterate, everything is**_ **fine** ** _. You're safe, your grandma's safe, everyone's safe._**

 _ **P.S. Cameron helped me renovate my house. It's fucking sweet~!**_

 _ **P.P.S. Whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE! We're kind of in a dimensional wormhole, and I'm fairly sure you'll die if you do so. I don't want to lose another friend today, especially the cute one.**_

 _ **P.P.P.S. The 'cute' one**_ **;)**

 _ **Sincerely,**_

 _ **Douglas**_

* * *

With a tinge of red gracing her cheeks, Rossweisse just narrowed her eyes at the piece of paper before **violently** crumpling it up between her hands.

"By. The. Gods. I swear! That...that damnable, insufferable...!" she seethed, frustration and embarrassment playing a **huge** part of her bloodthirst against this particular piece of paper.

Taking a few moments to compose herself, Rossweisse just sighed with a hint of irritation underneath her breath.

Taking heed of the note's advice, however, she **did** change into the baggy clothes left for her. She still never understood why her blond-haired friend seemed to like such clothing so much. Though, honestly, knowing him, he probably just finds it comfortable.

Wearing the white t-shirt and pants, her bare feet carried her over to the door to the room. Opening it, she saw that the rest of the house seemed to share the same wall and flooring designs as her room does.

...however...

She found that, unlike a week ago, she was now standing in a hallway that was about 6-feet in width. There were five doors, including hers, connected to the hallway. Two on each side of the hallway, and one at the end. She was currently standing inside the doorway to the left of the door at the end of the hallway.

Stepping out, she saw the door on her left side was partially ajar, showing the marble counter of a pristine bathroom. Sighing slightly, she decided to do as Douglas had asked and walked to the other side of the hallway.

Thinking to herself, she just smiled slightly...

A blonde-haired female with a large statue of ice? The odds of it being **her** are almost certain...

Opening the door quietly, she saw a room almost identical to her own...though with different occupants.

Seeing a blonde-haired female, slightly older and more mature-looking than herself with hair a bit disheveled, sitting quietly on the bed in the exact same outfit as her own with a small statue of ice being cradled in her hands, Rossweisse let a large smile come across her face.

"Lavinia?" Rossweisse spoke out to get the older girl's attention, to which the blonde's blue eyes rose up to meet her own in surprise.

"Rossweisse!?" Lavinia remarked, seemingly surprised at the face that had appeared in her doorway.

Standing up from the bed with the **[Absolute Demise]** vanishing from her hands in a poof of icy mist, Lavinia rushed over to the silver-haired girl and threw her arms around her in a hug, eliciting a slight grunt from the smaller girl who easily braced herself against the Human's weight.

"Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you~!" Lavinia joyfully cheered.

Rossweisse just awkwardly stood there, allowing the contact to occur with an uneasy smile on her face.

"It's g-good to see you too, Lavinia. Ho...how...um...how are y-you?" Rossweisse muttered to the blonde as she was released from the hug after one last squeeze.

Lavinia pulled back and smiled happily to the smaller girl.

"I'm doing fairly well. I was a little confused when I woke up, but then...uh, Rossweisse? Why are you here?" Lavinia began to reply before a signs of confusion washed over her features as she pondered on the other girl's reason for being inside of this place.

She had also read a note that had detailed where she was and that she was safe. She was told to take some time to herself before someone would come to get her should she wake up. So, she had been sitting and relaxing quietly in the room for the past two or three minutes, just allowing the relief of finally not having to worry about the safety of herself, her **[Sacred Gear]**...

...or her idiotic younger brother wash over her.

Rossweisse just tilted her head.

"Good question. I suppose you're also familiar with Mr. Douglas?" she asked in turn, to which Lavinia just quirked an eyebrow.

" **Mr.** Douglas? You're talking about a cheeky boy with blond hair, right?" Lavinia responded.

"Yes, the cheekiest." Rossweisse immediately agreed with the older girl's description, though amended it to be even more accurate.

...

Suddenly snorting, the two girls snickered for a moment before calming down.

"He's a friend." Rossweisse said, to which Lavinia nodded.

"Same. Though he **insists** on referring to me as his older sister." she replied jokingly, to which Rossweisse just scrunched her face into an expression that clearly showed how weird she though that habit to be.

Lavinia quickly added something to lessen the impact.

"I had made a stupid random comment, and he just decided to keep on teasing me about it." she explained. Rossweisse just took a moment to consider it, but then decided to believe that Douglas was just messing with her.

He does that. She would know, as she had experienced his version of 'messing around with people' many times over the course of her week-long stay inside of his house.

Taking a few more minutes or so to converse amongst themselves before they exited the room, Rossweisse and Lavinia both went towards the opposite end of the hallway, where a pair of metal doors sat with a small panel to the side with a single button on it that depicted an arrow pointing downwards.

Rossweisse pressed the button, to which both ladies waited for a moment for the elevator to come up...

*ding*

With a chime, the doors opened to reveal a similarly-style interior to the elevator beyond a metallic threshold. Entering, Rossweisse just looked to the panel on the inside of the elevator to see a list of buttons with descriptions on their destinations.

* * *

 **-2F: Bedrooms-  
** **-1F: Living Room, Kitchen, Guest Rooms-  
** **-B1: Training Area-  
** **-B2: *shrug*-  
** **-B3: Mediation Area-**

* * *

"Is Douglas...the only person who lives here?" Lavinia asked the silver-haired girl who clicked the '1F' button with one of her dainty fingers. Rossweisse just tilted her head slightly.

"From what I know, he moved to Japan to get away from his old life in America. I had stayed here for a week not too long ago, and he never once seemed to imply that anyone else lived here." she responded.

Lavinia's face fell a little at that.

"I see. Do you know where he is?" she then asked, to which Rossweisse pointed at the button labeled 'B3'.

"He left me a note saying he wanted me to take care of you while you slept. He also said he wouldn't mind if we took our time before going down there to meet with him. Plus, he may have come back up since he left that note. Are you hungry?" Rossweisse explained, feeling a small rumbling in her own stomach as she asked this question.

Lavinia's stomach made a similar noise as she just smiled sheepishly. At this point, the doors opened and both girls stepped out into the living room.

Rossweisse just looked around and noted that it was similarly-styled with the bedrooms, though there was a large black couch with two similar black chairs situated in the middle of the room, facing the wall that the elevator was inside of. To her right, she saw a larger flat-screen TV sitting on a much more luxurious mahogany stand with some sort of electronic media device attached to the back of of the TV.

She also noticed that there were two doors on both of the opposite sides of the room, and beyond the TV was the familiar threshold to the kitchen area.

"Will he mind?" the blonde asked, to which Rossweisse shook her head.

"For all his cheekiness and teasing, he's actually a pretty hospitable person. He even got in trouble with his friend who's been helping him by blowing his cover with a few groups of influential Devils in town just to come with me in order to buy me a few pairs of clothes when I came here, due to the fact that I had **none**. He also has some really good sweet tea." Rossweisse admitted, to which Lavinia seemed to be amused by.

"Oh~? Did little 'Rose' have a date with a guy~? Does Miss Göndul know~?" Lavinia teased, to which Rossweisse sighed deeply, even as a small streak of red came across her cheeks.

"She has **yet** to cease with reminding about it at every meal time. I imagine she even contacted my parents to explain the 'good news'. It's...annoying, to say the least." she groaned, reaching up with both hands to rub her temples.

Walking into the kitchen, Rossweisse noticed that all the cabinets have been changed out with ones that seemed to be made of mahogany, following the theme of upstairs. The counter-tops were made of marble, and the appliances all looked to be bigger, better and seemed to look **far** **more** **expensive**.

Rossweisse's eyebrows **spasmed**.

"Just how much money did he waste on all of this...?" Rossweisse hissed under her breath as she could only imagine a horrible looping image of the blond idiot laughing as he threw money into a furnace.

Lavinia took a step away as the air around Rossweisse seemed to grow slightly... **venomous**.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Rossweisse set about to scrounge up some food for the two of them. Eventually settling on his strange fascination for 'party platters', as he calls them, she made one and grabbed two of the familiar mason jars from the fridge before walking over to the intricately-carved and gold-embroidered marble slab her soon-to-be-dead friend must call his 'table'.

Sitting in the finely cushioned chairs that had wooden frames, the two ladies ate and spoke to each other about various topics for the next several minutes.

...with one of them plotting the death of the man downstairs.

* * *

 **Douglas's Crib – Meditation Area (Douglas POV)**

 **August 26, 2014 – 12:30 AM – 28 Minutes Later...**

On top of a tiered stone plateau that had three 2-foot steps up to the top level in the center of the room that was about 20-feet in total diameter with a circular blanket of water pouring down around the perimeter of the top level to help create some white noise for me to concentrate better, I sat with both my arms and legs crossed while wearing a loose pair of baggy black training pants and a **Locket Necklace (Silver) (Basic)** around my neck.

As I sat there, I concentrated on regaining all of the KI that I had lost through my most recent training session through [Ki Meditation]...

...as well as attempted to further contemplate about a slew of other things.

Such as the black-coated asshole who has officially proven to me that he apparently doesn't have a problem with lying. He never fucking intended to 'leave me alone'. According to the letter given to me by his servants, he supposedly didn't **order** them to come here, but he simply allowed them to do as they pleased so long as they also delivered the letter.

However, I wasn't stupid. They work for him, which means that if he wasn't **stopping** them, then he was lying.

And those guys appearing out of nowhere means I'll have to be on the lookout for any information regarding black-coated individuals in the world. That means I'll have **even more work** on my plate.

Gritting my teeth slightly, I thought back to when I found Lavinia in her roughed-up state. I thought to what the black-coated female asked me just before she died by my hands...

...

Again, I could only feel a surge of numbing coldness spread through my veins...

Continuing to focus on the moments of seeing Lavinia in that state, and of when I fought [The Master] in a halfhearted attempt to avenge her, I could feel the hairs all over my body begin to stand on end.

*sssssshhhhhhhh*

Opening my eyes, I could see a blue-colored aura seep out and cover my body. However, continuing to focus on those moments, the blue slowly darkened to purple, before turning into a sickeningly **bloody red**.

Feeling my teeth almost begin to grate against themselves, I kept pushing my [Perfect Memory] to focus on nothing but those memories. I also felt a familiar tingle disappear as my [Ki Meditation] stopped from me putting too much concentration into something else.

However, as I continued concentrating, I could only experience one feeling...

 **Numbness**.

Everything around me just seemed to be grayed out, besides my aura, as I continued to focus. I started to become a bit impatient and continued forcing the memories forward, even as some part of my sub-conscious mind attempted to hold them back.

And, at that time, I spoke. My voice came out...almost **distorted**.

"I'm making my fucking decision, body. You can go numb, I don't give a shit. But...I **will** change!" I seethed, my voice low and nearly coming out as a growl. I wasn't even sure if what I had said made sense, but the thought that my **body** was the thing holding me back from being the kind of person I wanted to be just crossed my mind at the moment, and exited my mouth soon-after.

I could then feel something vibrating against my skin all over my body, stimulating the numbness and making my body feel like it was surrounded by pins and needles on every side.

Continuing to force my mind to focus on the memories, I suddenly heard a guttural sigh echo throughout the room...

 **{...*sigh*...}**

...

Releasing all of the tension in my body with the help of [Gamer's Mind], I just sighed and calmed down as my [Magic Aura] returned to a blue color before seeping back underneath my skin.

Standing up, I gracefully walked out of the chamber with a smile on my face.

"Yep. I'm going to change."

* * *

 **Douglas's Crib – Living Room (Douglas POV)**

 **1:13 AM – 40 Minutes Later...**

Stepping out of the elevator without my shirt on after having taken a nice shower for the first time in a week, I was toweling my hair dry when the sound of hushed female voices entered my ears.

"...hat him...?"

"...on't kno..."

"...go chec..."

Walking to the middle of the living room, I looked over towards the entrance to the kitchen area to see two lovely ladies step into view, one a silverette and one a blonde, both wearing my signature outfit with style. Their deep, beautiful blue eyes were looking at me with love and admiration. Their bosoms quaked with happiness and joy as they...

*sssssrrrreeeeeeee*

...

"Hi, Rossweisse..." I sighed sadly as the silverette I call friend now has a glowing blue magic circle aimed at me once again, its diameter most likely a meter or so.

"Mr. Douglas. Why exactly are you walking around without a shirt on?" the Valkyrie asked, and though I could tell that she was attempting to be authoritative and professional, there was a hint of red gracing her cheeks as she seemed to glance away from me every second or two.

"I have a couple of older babes staying in my [Crib]. I gotta show off my A-cups. Hey, Lavinia, nice bed-head." I replied without missing a beat, continuing to towel my hair dry, even as the magic circle seemed to rev up even more in response to my answer.

"U-Um...thanks? Rossweisse, I don't think it's really...necessary to go that far." Lavinia spoke, seemingly more concerned with what the silver-haired girl was doing than me.

Rossweisse seemed to just look between us for a moment before groaning and releasing her magic circle.

Finishing with drying my hair, I slipped the towel into my 'Inventory' and pulled out a fresh shirt. Slipping it over my head, I just smiled at the girl who was about to shoot me for partial nudity.

"Better, ya big prude?" I asked, to which she nodded before sighing. She then just smiled.

"By the Gods, I swear...you're going to be the death of me." she replied. I just blew her a big, fat ol' raspberry.

 ***Ppfffffft***

She pointed a finger threateningly at me. I pointed a finger back.

"You've gotten even more annoying."

"Your asshole's puckered up again."

Stammering in place, I could see steam start to come out of her ears as she probably didn't know how to come back from that one.

At that point, I just sighed and lowered my finger. I then shifted my gaze over to Lavinia and saw that she was just watching us with an amused smile on her face.

"..." I silently looked at her, a number of thoughts going through my head. She caught my gaze and seemed a little confused as to why I was just staring at her.

Walking forwards and crossing the 10 or so feet separating us, I got **extremely** close to her before she actually started to back up. Continuing to pressure her back, her butt eventually met counter and she was forced to stop. However, I still came closer. She ended up leaning back from me with an uneasy smile on her face.

In my right peripheral, I could see Rossweisse standing there, seemingly confused as crap.

"U-Uh...D-Douglas? W-w-wha..." Lavinia attempted to ask, to which I raised my right hand up and gently cupped her cheek with it whilst staring **intently** into her eyes with my own.

As a line of red began to appear on her face, she tried to pull away slightly. I just kept my hand pressed against her cheek.

And then...

*pat* *pat* *pat*

...I just gently gave it three soothing pats. It wasn't much, but Lavinia's gaze seemed to grow a little less hesitant at that. I just smiled the warmest smile I could at her.

"A lot happened, but it's really good to see you both up and about." I spoke sincerely, before stepping away from the slightly flustered girl and going towards the fridge to get a drink.

As they seemed to calm down and process what just happened, I turned around with a jar of sweet tea in my hands.

"Mr. Douglas, what do you mean 'a lot has happened'?" Rossweisse asked, to which I just shook my head.

"Before that, my full name is Douglas Alexander Roland. I never gave that to you before, because I figured it would be best to play it safe. We're friends now, and I don't ever want to feel like lying to you is the best option in any circumstance." I told her, to which she quirked an eyebrow and nodded.

"I...appreciate that sentiment, Mr. Douglas." she responded, keeping her voice polite. I just turned to Lavinia and nodded to her as well, to which she smiled.

"Now, I'll start from the beginning..."

...

* * *

And so, I told them everything that had happened to both of them, excluding a very certain event because I don't want to fucking talk about it. They both seemed to nod along, though Lavinia seemed rather unsure about living Puppets kidnapping Rossweisse. The girl herself confirmed it, however, to which the blonde felt was enough evidence.

I didn't tell them about [The Master], but I did tell them that there were some people in long black coats that could control the monsters and were responsible for kidnapping them. They both seemed to take interest in that, though neither of them seemed to remember anything about what I was referring to.

"...and you say that you fought one of these people?" Rossweisse asked. I nodded.

"He was a tough bastard. We were pretty much evenly matched the whole time. Then, he had another one of them bring you out as a sort of bargaining chip to get me to let them go without a fuss. I'd say sorry, but your life was a little more important to me at the time." I replied, to which the girl's blue eyes twinkled slightly and a faint line of red crossed her face.

Lavinia just raised a hand over her mouth at the moment, though she seemed to be doing it mockingly.

"Ooh~! Isn't my little brother just the sweetest little thing~?" she elbowed Rossweisse, who just stammered slightly before groaning.

"Ngah~!"

...

"...w-well, thanks for saving my life again, Mr. Douglas. I feel a little complicated about it, though..." Rossweisse begrudgingly said as she crossed her arms and huffed.

"Yes, I'd imagine that your pride as a Valkyrie is a little hurt by having to be saved twice." I commented, to which the silver-haired girl **glared like a demon** at me.

"Do you think me a damsel, Mr. Douglas?" Rossweisse asked me, a dangerous edge to her voice. I just glared to her in turn.

"No. No, I don't. And, I **never** fucking will. And that's exactly why I'm looking to ask you something. I've done some research and some thinking since you left..." I spoke, walking until I was staring right up into her shimmering blue eyes that began to glow slightly with arcane energy.

Lavinia placed a calming hand on each of our shoulders, which we both ignored as we continued to glare at each other.

"How confident would you be in teaching a Human jackass **everything** about Norse Magic?"

...

...

Her eyes going wide in shock, I just continued glaring at her. Lavinia let go of us at that point as I continued talking.

"I don't know anything about anything. I don't know how to create a magic circle from scratch. I don't even know **what** a magic circle actually **is**. Everything I can do so far is supported and made possible by Cameron. But, it's also limited by him as well. I wasn't able to beat that guy because I've been held back on training wheels up until now. I've come **incredibly** close to losing things because I wasn't strong enough. It may take me a while to get up and going, and I'll still have to train with Cameron for another three or four months. However, after that, I'll need both a mentor and someone to help me get work." I explained, watching as Rossweisse was attempting to deal with this sudden flood of a request.

Reaching up and grasping her shoulders, I pulled her down to my level and looked into her eyes from about two inches away.

"Rossweisse. I need your help. I'm too stupid to do it on my own, and I **need** to do it."

"...Please."

...

Standing there in complete silence, the three of us breathing through the heated atmosphere, I'm sure we would've looked like a bit of an odd couple to anyone who would happen to see us.

Rossweisse just seemed flustered for a moment before calming down and closing her eyes. When she opened them and looked away, she seemed like she would refuse...

...until her eyes met mine again and she just smiled.

"...okay. Okay. I will...uh, **teach** you...I...guess?" Rossweisse agreed.

*squeeze*

"Wha!?" Rossweisse squeaked as my hands that were gripping her shoulders instantly shot around her body and pulled into a hug.

She probably would've started resisting, and I probably would've lost my arms in an instant if that happened, but I immediately let go after that one squeeze.

"Thanks. I've been damn near killing myself trying to think of how to ask for lessons from you. Having the studious granddaughter of one of the most famous Magic Users in the Norse Faction train me in magic is most likely a smart idea from many different standpoints." I said happily, even as the slightly taller girl rose back up with a flare of pink going across her face.

"You didn't have to do that, though~!" Rossweisse screamed, using her Norwegian accent, straight into my face. I just blew another raspberry at her.

*Pfft*

I then turned to Lavinia, who seemed to be struggling not to laugh at what she had just witnessed.

"Lavinia, it may have been a joke at first, but would you mind **really** becoming my older sister?" I asked without skipping a beat and with the most serious tone I could muster.

...

*gasp*

Inhaling quickly, the female in surprise gaped at my request.

"Um...um...uhh..." Lavinia stammered, trying to find words to express her thoughts. Rossweisse was also wide-eyed at this, with her mouth hanging a few inches from the ground.

Figuratively, people, not literally...

"It's become painfully clear to me that I've been a pretty shitty person these past couple of weeks. I lie to people about even the stupidly small things, I give innocent people the middle finger when they ask questions, and I literally beat the shit out of a couple of people. Don't ask. My general personality doesn't need fixing, but I need to learn more about being truthful with people and how to interact with them. I also need to learn everything about the supernatural world from scratch. Everything I know so far is based off of rumors and simple logic. I ended up being an asshole to some Devils because of that, and would like to avoid said 'assholery' in the future." I explained, to which the older girl seemed to patiently try to listen as she picked her jaw up off the floor.

Taking a moment to think to herself, Lavinia just sighed.

"I...I guess I could teach you about the different Factions, Douglas. But, it sounds like you're already aware of the problems you have. I'm not sure what I could really do to help, and I don't really think I'm cut out to be anyone's 'older sister figure'. It was fun as a joke, but I'm not even sure where to start with something like that." Lavinia replied, her voice hesitant and sounding like she was declining the request.

I just sighed.

"I could probably do it on my own. However, I'll feel like I can start and stop anytime I want. You don't have to sign papers or babysit me or be my legal guardian or whatever...just...continue being **you**. I'll handle the rest."

...

Smiling lightly, Lavinia just shrugged before nodding.

"O...Okay. I mean, I'm not really sure about what you mean, but if you're really wanting my help with all of that, then...I mean, I'll just keep an eye on you from now on. How's that?" she proposed, holding a hand out. I just smiled and reached out to take it.

Shaking hands, we both nodded to each other.

"That'll do." I said, before releasing her dainty hand.

Standing there in the kitchen, having said everything that I felt needed said, I just smiled to the two girls and shrugged.

"Well, that was about it. There any questions you two have?" I asked, to which Lavinia just pointed towards the window that was in the kitchen behind me.

Looking back, I could see sheets and streaks of light streak by like fireworks through the night sky. Reds and greens and yellows and blues all swirled around, forming a tapestry that would vanish and be replaced by a different one with each passing second.

"Ah, **that**." I remarked, nodding my head and knowing that she'd no doubt be curious.

"You said in your note that we were in a 'dimensional wormhole', Mr. Douglas. Would you...care to explain in more detail what you meant?" Rossweisse asked, her arms crossed. I just giggled a little and scratched my cheek.

"Well, what can I say? I got into a bit of trouble with the Devils in Japan and decided to move. I didn't want to leave my siege-proof house behind, though, so Cameron was all like 'I got it', and 'poof'! We are now en route to a...uh, another continent." I explained with a lighthearted tone. Both girls raised their eyebrows as I then sighed.

"It's safe. I...I trust Cameron **enough** to not throw me into a meat grinder. We're about 5 hours into our journey, so another 19 hours and we'll arrive. Until then, just... **stay inside**. Please." I spoke, holding my hands together and pleading with them. Both girls just looked to each other and shared a 'whatever' eye roll before assuring me they wouldn't leave.

"What happened with the Devils?" Rossweisse asked. I just sorta kicked the ground a little bit.

"I **might've** thrown one of them through a window. However, it was both with love and a thick-as-fuck duffel-bag protecting them!" I spoke before quickly tacking on the second statement when I saw Rossweisse's eyes go wide with indignant anger.

"Why would you do that!?" she yelled at me.

"I panicked! The one in question had been missing for **days** before I found her! If they linked that to **me** , then I'd be brought down to the Underworld and receive 'round-the-clock' torture!" I responded, holding up my hands in a placating manner.

Placing a hand on my shoulder, Lavinia just shook her head.

"Douglas, it sounds like you're lying. I can understand if you're afraid, but that's no reason to run." she chided me, already attempting to step into her role of being my new 'big sister'.

...

"I'm not lying! And, actually, **yeah it freaking is**! That is like, literally, **the** reason to run!" I yelled, taking a step back from her.

"And what are you going to do when it comes back to bite you later? And don't kid yourself, because you **know** it will!" she replied, stepping towards me. I just bucked up.

"Of course it won't come back to bite me. I saved **her** life too, you know! Not to mention I left a signed note with a super secret code name that nobody else will be able to know about! I'll just let the heat die down before swooping back in and claiming credit for being her hero!" I responded, placing my hands on my hips.

"Oh really? What's this female Devil's name?" Rossweisse asked. I just sighed.

"No idea." I replied, looking her dead in the eye.

"Then this sounds like a half-baked plan that will inevitably end up in an awkward mess. Not to mention the fact that you might not ever meet her again. It's notoriously difficult for mortals to enter the Underworld, after all." Rossweisse deduced, her eyes indicating her sincere lack of faith in my plan.

"I don't plan things out fully. That never works. I plan about 10-15% out, and then use 'skill' and 'improvisation' to handle the rest. That, and I won't be the same person I am now when I go to confront her. If all goes well, I'll have enough at my disposal to handle myself nicely by that time." I dismissed her concerns, though I could see she clearly thought me an idiot for not planning things out.

...

"You said we're going to another continent. Where exactly are we heading?" Lavinia asked, to which I just nodded my head towards Rossweisse.

"Well, since I don't know exactly where our lovely little Valkyrie here lives, I picked a random location in Norway. Some place called Geiranger." I replied. Rossweisse's eyes went wide at that.

"Norway!?"

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **It would've been longer, but I would've had no idea how to end the Chapter. I think one more Chapter for this 'opening arc' and then I'll do a huge time skip.**

 **Man, writing is tough~!**

 **I shall put the updated 'Status Screen' for Douglas below. Feel free to mock it at your leisure. If you wish to Review or do some other site-related thing, just look further down the page.**

 **I've recently done some self-reflection, and if anyone wishes to give some constructive criticism of my story, I'll try to take it into consideration more than I have.** **For the most part, so far, I've just been brushing it off and continuing as I have. The story became more intricate because I've been cramming more things into it. However, I can tell that it's very choppy and disconnected, and that the flow is terrible. I've just been at a loss for how to improve on that. This is nothing more than a hobby to me, and I've never really thought about serious improvement until now. I'm not looking to become a great writer, but this shit has to become better at some point.**

 **One of my big problems is overdoing conversations long past their usefulness. Another is my general fear of potentially cutting out all the important details just to get to the fun stuff. Rushing to the climax, in a sense. I tried to find a balance to it in this Chapter, but some feedback would be appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading, and Happy New Years!**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 26, 2014 **(Canon Start: 958 days)  
** **Time:** 1:56:01 AM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 11 Human):** +11 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 90  
 **EXP** : 335,893,672/612,577,743  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,235 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,228.8 MP/minute)  
 **KI (DxD):** 6,600/6,600 (+60 KI/minute)

 **STR:** 2,312 (2,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 2,000 (1,910+90+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 3,041 (2,501+540+0+0)  
 **INT:** 700 (700+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 2,288 (1,928+360+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 1,090 (1+990+99)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

 **Money (Yen):** 67,364,560

 **Skill Store Tokens:** 1

 **Magic Store Tokens:** 1

 **-Skills/Magic-**

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Gamer's Body]** – **LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Gamer's Mind] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Language] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Fiction Adaptation] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Perfect Grip] – LVL: MAX – Passive –**

 **+[Perfect Throw] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Health Regenerator] – LVL: 276 – EXP: 9.5/100% - Passive**

 **+[Second Chance] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Control Stick Physics] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 21/100 – EXP: 54/100% - Active**

 **+[Perfect Memory] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Magic Regenerator] – LVL: 306 – EXP: 37.3/100% - Passive**

 **+[Magic Aura] – LVL: MAX – Active - MP Used:** 10%/minute

 **+[Blessed Looter] – LVL: MAX – Passive**

 **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA - Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Block] – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Active**

 **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Passive**

 **+[Unarmed Combat Proficiency] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E - Passive**

 **+[Norse Magic Affinity] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E - Passive**

 **+[Ki Manipulation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 38/100 – EXP: 97/100% - Rank: D – Passive**

 **+[Ki Meditation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 2/100 – EXP: 85/100% – Rank: D – Active  
** **-By sitting or standing as still as they can and concentrating, the player can increase the rate at which they recover KI points. The player can be moved by outside forces while this is happening, but they can't initiate it or expend any concentration on it. Any sensory-based 'Skills' or 'Magic' that require Ki that the player knows will automatically activate when this ability is used, even if the player hasn't bought the abilities from the 'Store'.  
** **-KI Regeneration Rate Increase: 3x**

 **-Magic-**

 **+[Observe] – LVL: 229 – EXP: 30/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP

 ** **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 28 – EXP: 80/100% – Active – Cost:**** 40 MP

 **+[ID: Escape] – LVL: MAX – Active – Cost:** 0 MP

 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 60-'?' MP

 **+[Norse Magic: Hands of Healing] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 50 MP/second

 **+[Norse Magic: Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 0/100% – Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 200 MP per chain  
 **-Type: [Norse] / [Binding]  
** **-Allows player to shoot a magical chain from their body. The chain can latch onto or wrap around objects or enemies.  
** **-Power: (MAG*0.4+500) kg  
** **-Limit: 2 chains  
** **-Length: 4 meters**

 **+[Norse Magic: Shield of Light] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 80 MP/second

 **+[Touki] (Highschool Highschool DxD) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP: 61/100% - Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 45 KI/second


	19. Chapter 15 (Part 2) - Hello Norway!

**Thanks for tuning in! Please enjoy or hate the new Chapter to your heart's content!**

 **Update Notice: GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! I DIDN'T FUCKING MEAN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!**

 **Sorry, I went ahead and deleted that apology so that when I posted the new Chapter, you'd all see it as Chapter 20! However, I'm a goddamn idiot, and it just fucking shows that I updated, AGAIN!**

 **Why the fuck would it show as an 'update' if you 'delete' a Chapter, anyways!? That's stupid!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 _[Tyrius]:_ I just talked to some people, and they informed me that I apparently **don't** own 'Highschool DxD'. Go figure. My plans for making Kiba x Rizevim a thing have been shot down entirely. I'm still gonna keep pushing onward for the best ship, though...

GASPER x KOKABIEL **FOR LIFE!**

 **To that one Guest that left a Review about the funny disclaimers:** It's kinda hard to keep thinking up fresh material. Plus, after hearing no comments about them, I pretty much assumed that nobody actually read them. After all, you people aren't coming here to read crappy jokes about a borderline hentai. I'll **try** to do this kind of stuff, but I'll probably end up falling off the wagon on it at some point.

* * *

 **Guide as to how to read this story:**

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech **speech** Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

 _"Speech"_ = Flashbacks.

 **{Words}** = Non-human sounds/voices.

[Words] = Gamer or DxD-exclusive terms.

*verbs/sounds* = Shorthand description of people doing things or sounds occuring.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

 **Warning:** Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 (Part 2): Hello, Norway!**

* * *

 **Douglas's Crib – Kitchen**

 **8:30 AM – About 6 Hours 30 Minutes Later...**

Standing in front of the sink, I was just about finished washing the dishes left over from our breakfast of fruity pancakes. Lavinia and Rossweisse were in the living room watching a movie, even though they had politely offered to help.

What can I say? I'm used to doing stuff myself...

Hearing some very light footsteps cross the threshold from the living room to the kitchen, I craned my neck to see Lavinia walk in with an unreadable expression on her face. I just put a smile on my face as I turned back to continue washing the dishes.

"What's up?" I asked in a friendly tone. I didn't receive an answer right away, so I moved over to start drying the dishes whilst taking a peek back at Lavinia.

She now stood about five feet away, still with that same expression.

"Well, there are some questions I've wanted to ask for a while now...you know, just some of those 'get to know you' kinds of questions. Since you're treating us like **honored guests** , I want to at least keep you company while you're working." she spoke as she hopped up onto the counter she stood beside and sat casually.

Focusing on drying the dishes, I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Alright. Ask away, oh great Big Sis~..." I said somewhat mockingly.

"You said that before you went to Japan you were living a normal life for a Human. Can you tell me a bit about it?" she asked.

"I lived out my days playing video games, watching anime and writing half-assed short stories." I answered promptly, picking up another dish to dry as I did so.

"...did you spend any time with friends? Family?" she asked, her tone sounding a little dismayed at how bluntly I admitted to being a shut-in.

"I spent some time with a few friends. Family, not so much." I replied quickly.

...

"Can you...uh, tell me about some of your family members?" she then asked, her voice going quiet for a moment.

"As far as immediate family goes, I ha-...I have a father, mother, older half-sister and a nephew. We lived in a small house in a rural area on the east coast of the US." I responded, barely catching myself from using the word **'had'**.

Finishing up with drying the dishes, I set the slightly damp towel I used down onto the marble counter-top and turned around to see Lavinia staring at me with a slightly curious expression on her face.

"Sounds quaint. What were they like?" she spoke after a moment, seemingly finding new resolve to further question me due to me giving her a longer answer.

Crossing my arms and leaning against the counter, I sighed as I tilted my head back.

Man, having to think about this shit during my down-time **sucks**...

"My parents were fairly lax. They barely ever stepped in to do any 'parenting' unless it was a necessity. My sister and I were basically left to raise ourselves. Personality-wise, they're a bit diverse. Dad was pretty damn proud of himself and had an attitude where he always felt the need to fix any problem that came up by himself. Also, God forbid you tell him he's wrong about something. Mom was so nice that she was basically a push-over. She'd help anyone who showed up on the doorstep as much as she could, even to the detriment of her health and mental state. My sister was pretty haughty and self absorbed. She also seemed to constantly feel the need to exercise her right to make decisions on her own by making poor choices that the rest of us had to deal with the consequences of. That's just a general view of them from my perspective. I know it sounds like a negative opinion. However, they were all just trying to do their own thing and live their own lives, without having to worry about anyone else." I answered, trying to not delve too deeply into the details of my family's 'private drama' that had occurred.

I'm fairly certain that Lavinia didn't want to hear about all that noise...

Speaking of Lavinia, she just sat there and listened as I explained all of that to her. She even smiled a little as I attempted to backtrack and make sure that she didn't just immediately call out my views as being 'too negative'.

I've had to explain this stuff before to others. It's just a headache that I'd prefer to avoid.

...yes, I know [Gamers] don't get headaches, but you know what I mean!

Lavinia then let out a small chuckle from behind the hand that moved up to cover her mouth.

"Heh, it's kind of cute how you tried to negate everything you said like that. Not like it really matters, though. Most people tend to live their lives like that. However, I'm now fairly confident that what I said back in the cave was true. You really **weren't** hugged enough as a child~!" Lavinia teased, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

I just blew a raspberry at her.

*pfft*

"I told you about mine, so now it's your turn." I replied with a hint of mirth to my tone. However, I also felt a little voice nipping me in the back of my head.

Based on how the series seemed to portray it, the likelihood that Lavinia had a traumatic childhood in order to add credibility to her character is quite high. This common character trait also serves as the basis for one of my most deeply-held beliefs...

If you didn't suffer as a kid, you aren't a real anime character!

Lavinia just let her eyes wander away from mine as a fond smile came over her face.

"Well, I was born and raised in Italy. I have a mother and father, but no siblings. My childhood was actually quite fun, and my parents did their job well. My father is a bit like you, with how he handles problems on his own. He's a little more on the stoic side, though. My mother, on the other hand, is somewhat silly most of the time. She often gets on my father's nerves, especially with her **almost frivolous** use of magic." Lavinia explained, her tone full of happiness and love for her parents.

"I'm guessing you've been around magic for a while, then?" I then asked, to which she nodded.

"Well...I've been **around** it, but it wasn't until I was around 12 that I was able to start actually learning how to **perform** it. Both of my parents work in Grauzauberer, the same Magician Organization I'm a part of. It was around that time that I found out about my **[Sacred Gear]**. I ended up joining before actually being able to do magic because of Demi, though I've since been taught by experts of all kinds." she answered, to which I nodded. She then grew a small smirk on her lips.

"Now, it's my turn to ask a question~! How's the relationship between you and your sister?" she then asked. I groaned deeply at the question.

"She...what I said before is mostly accurate. She had it a little rougher than I did growing up. Our parents were harsher on her because she was older. It also seemed like she was never interested in putting any effort into school or chores around the house, which was pretty frustrating for them to deal with. We basically stopped talking in my first year of middle-school, during which she was a junior in high-school. She went off and got married to a guy that my family spitefully refers to as 'jackass' about a month after meeting and getting knocked up by him. I was forced to attend their wedding, which I hated. Then, when she had the kid, she ended up getting divorced and moved back in with us. Since then, however, she constantly would try to get back together with 'hubby' or leave the house to try and make it on her own out in the cruel, heartless world. She'd drag her kid along with her, before bringing him back a month or two later. Eventually, after I finished high-school early, I was forced into being his full-time babysitter in order to keep him out of that fucked-up lifestyle. So, to wrap all that up, I'm bitter towards her for making so many terrible decisions and then forcing me and Mom to take care of **her** child and **her** problems."

Standing in the kitchen in silence after I finished telling Lavinia the details concerning my relationship with my 'former' older sister, I just watched as Lavinia's face turned unreadable. She stared at me for a good long minute before eventually opening her mouth to reply to me.

"I see...I've never been in a situation like that, but I can imagine how frustrating that must've been. Nobody likes being forced to clean up other people's problems. Was there ever a time when your relationship with her was better than that?" Lavinia asked, trying to be sympathetic yet optimistic.

It almost seemed like she was sincerely hoping that I could enlighten her as to how awesome it would be to have a sibling...

"Of course. It wasn't as if we hated each other's guts from day one. We **did** grow up together, after all. We used to play outside together all the time. We would also sneak into the other's bedroom at night whenever either of us had a nightmare or felt too chatty to fall asleep. She was also quite the tattletale whenever I was pulling one of my 'heroic stunts'. Like crossing a busy highway to get to a convenience store in my quest for a cup of hot chocolate when I was 3 or a month later when I ended up driving Mom's car down a hillside into a tree." I replied, my tone somewhat cheery as I remembered everything that had happened during my early childhood with perfect clarity.

[Perfect Memory], bitches~!

Lavinia just stared at me wide-eyed, almost like she was seeing a miracle of God standing before her.

"Ho...how did...?" Lavinia tried to ask, to which I just mischievously snickered.

"It's rude for a lady to ask a gentleman about his secrets, right~?" I teased. Lavinia, at that point, started laughing lightly behind a covering hand.

"Touché, you smug little brat~..." she conceded, her words sounding far harsher than her humorous tone would imply.

"Alrighty then, I suppose we're back to my turn. If you were born in Italy, how did you come to be a part of an organization based out of Germany?" I asked as her laughter began to die down. She just coughed slightly to regain her composure before answering with a smile.

"My parents worked in Italy and merely reported back to Germany. Sort of like telecommuting. I, myself, usually move back-and-forth between Germany and Italy for work, unless I'm needed elsewhere for some assignment. Being a **[Longinus]** -wielder has its perks, you know~!" she answered. I just nodded slightly.

"I can buy that..."

...

"You sort of tried to shy away from the question earlier, but why would you ask me to be your 'older sister figure' when you already have a sister?" Lavinia then asked, all cheeriness and subtlety gone from her voice.

"..." I silently stared at her, guessing that this was probably the question that she **actually** wanted an answer to. Her eyes were glued to my own without even the slightest sign of wavering or losing focus.

...

Even though it was a small difference, I heard the volume of the TV in the other room decrease slightly. I'm guessing Rossweisse was wanting to listen in on this as well, though I'd imagine she's been listening to everything we've been saying since she's a **nosy** **little** **Valkyrie-in-training**...

"Lavinia...it's easy to give up on accomplishing something if you feel like you don't have a reason to keep going. It's been a **very long time** since I've had someone in my life whose opinion I actually valued. Someone who I actually wanted to impress and earn the respect of. It's awkward for me to ask someone I'm not entirely familiar with to **be** that person, just as I'm sure it's awkward for you to be asked to act like my 'older sister figure' when we barely know each other. But...I don't want to feel like I can just give up on my goals simply because I was too ashamed to ask for someone to be there to encourage me should I start losing steam." I replied, suddenly feeling like I didn't really want to talk anymore.

Walking past Lavinia, I attempted to leave the room. However, I suddenly felt a dainty hand gently land atop my head before my hair was ruffled.

...

I will never speak of this...

I will never **ever** admit this to anybody I converse with from here on out...

Not a single soul nor object in existence will be aware...

...of that small flicker of **happiness** I just felt.

"It **is** awkward. But, you saved my life and reunited me with my best friend. If you just want somebody to look up to, then I'll do my best~! Honestly, the main reason I asked is because I just wanted to make sure of what it was that you were wanting from me. **That** , by the way, was just a little treat for all you've done so far~!" she left me with that parting message as I walked out of the kitchen to see Rossweisse frantically attempting to look as if she wasn't attempting to eavesdrop on our conversation from her position on the couch in front of the TV.

However, I'd imagine that the large streak of red across my face caught the entirety of her attention in an instant.

I just subtly pointed a finger at her before mouthing these words...

 _"The breath that conveys any of what was just spoken...will be the last one you ever breathe."_

In return, I received nothing but the **most vicious smirk** I've ever seen on a **demon's face**...

 **LINE BREAK**

 **Douglas's Crib – Training Area**

 **12:30 PM – 3 Hours and 45 Minutes Later...**

Inside of a large empty room that was exactly 30x30x20-meters big, I was currently sparring against the toughest fucking bitch I've ever met in my life.

...

Okay, that was a bit of a lie.

I am **currently** being pinned against the ground with one of my arms being held behind my back whilst being twisted by a painfully strong grip. There was also a very uncomfortable sensation of a knee being pressed into the small of my back with the full weight of a trained warrior on top of it.

Twisting my head that was being smooshed into the ground by the female's merciless gloved hand, I looked up to see a slight grin on the beautiful face of the Valkyrie whose silver hair was currently done up in a tight bun.

"...gif...guf...gi... **give**!" I attempted to speak, only to find out that apparently being squished up against a hard marble ground becomes quite the impediment when it comes to conversing.

With a victorious smirk on her face, Rossweisse released her monstrous grip on my arm and pushed herself off of me.

"Rather impressive movements for someone with so little training, Mr. Douglas! However, like I keep telling you, you're **very** predictable! You are quite good at finding chances to attack, and know when it's best to defend or retreat, but you **always** go for whatever hole you spot in my defenses! I just have to create one on purpose and **voila** , I can trick you into making a move that I'm prepared to counter!" Rossweisse gave a clear judgement as to how she beat me in our most recent spar.

I had figured out quite quickly what a **real** trained warrior was capable of within seconds of our first bout, when she solidly kneed me in the face before throwing me to the ground and pinning me in much the same manner as she just did.

If you're wondering what brought this brilliant idea in my head concerning the thought of **sparring** with the Valkyrie-in-training that had agreed to train me in magic, it's really very simple...

I don't have books. You kinda need those for learning about the highly technical and fancy art of magic. Unfortunately, Rossweisse doesn't carry beginner-level books on her at all times. I can't just suddenly procure them from the 'Store' without generating suspicion, either.

So, it was either practicing channeling my magic, which I don't need to waste her time in practicing since Lavinia already taught me the basic steps to do that, or one-on-one sparring.

Even without magic, Rossweisse has firmly whooped my ass exactly **56 times** now...

Besides slightly heavier breaths escaping her lips, she doesn't even seem to be tired, either.

"Well, Cameron basically trained me to go for the vitals when I saw the chance. If I don't attack you, then the fight basically becomes a game of cat-and-mouse, which is just **bound** to end well..." I groaned out as I hopped back up to my feet, bringing my right arm up and giving it a few rotations and stretches to ease off the discomfort of having been twisted at a weird angle.

Looking over to Rossweisse who was wearing an outfit that matched my own that consisted of a much more form-fitting white t-shirt, blue track pants, a pair of sneakers and a pair of black fighting gloves covering her hands, I couldn't quite shrug off the burgeoning feeling of annoyance at the smug look that graced the face of my friend.

Canon be damned, Rossweisse enjoys fighting just as fucking much as Vali!

"Don't fight me on this, Mr. Douglas! You **really** need to learn the difference between a genuine opening and a **trap**. I'm not even really **trying** to fool you yet. If you're preferred method of fighting is close-combat, you have to be able to discern these things in a near instant. If you can't, then your enemies will snap your spine and twist your head off without a second thought!" she retorted, her voice sounding confident and experienced.

And with that small conversation said and done, we went ahead and took up stances against each other from about twenty feet apart once again.

Just like the times before as well, Rossweisse created a small blue magic circle next to her that produced a pebble-sized shard of ice that immediately started falling to the ground.

*clack*

Dashing forward at each other at roughly the same speed, I waited until we were almost upon one another before using [Control Stick Physics] to change my momentum instantly to go to the left, barely dodging the gloved right fist that was sent towards my torso with enough force to produce a small gust of wind.

Swinging my lower body around, I swung my left leg at Rossweisse's waist. She, however, spun her upper torso around after her failed punch and caught my kick in between the crease of her arm and her impressively hard abdomen.

I saw her just smirk before she put some torque into spinning her torso back around, dragging me off-balance. I quickly kicked my right foot off the ground so as to not be put into an excessively disadvantageous position, but I was still being easily swung around by the silverette's grip on my leg.

I saw her quickly raise her right elbow up and quickly deduced that she was aiming to cripple my left leg. Tensing my muscles, I found enough purchase to crane my body backwards.

Thrusting my other leg downwards whilst being dragged through the air, I kicked her in the back of her knee, forcing her to buckle and ease up on her hold on my leg. I managed to wriggle it out of her grasp before using an [Air Jump] to leap away from her for some distance.

Rossweisse just glanced over her shoulder, her expression seemingly impressed at me exploiting that particular opening. However, with that smirk still plastered on her face, I got the sneaking suspicion that she had showed her back to me on purpose.

Leaping up into the air after me, catching up to my measly speed in no time, she kicked at my torso. Since it's rather difficult to dodge in mid-air, I held out an arm to **somewhat** guard against it.

I say that, because guarding usually means either completely blocking something, or parrying it. However, in this instance, I've gotten accustomed to using the momentum from the strike to move out of the path of the strike. Cameron conditioned the basics of this strategy into me, but Rossweisse has **really** been pushing me to get good at it.

Being sent upwards into the air from moving with the momentum of her kick, I watched as Rossweisse once again showed off the **hax-level ability** of simply flying towards me as a soft trail of magic emanated from underneath her.

And so, we started what is almost undoubtedly the funnest kind of battle~...

Zipping through the air towards, away and around each other, we traded blows whenever we could. However, unlike my fight with the Fallen Angel in the library, Rossweisse was privy to most of my tricks by now since she was both a trained warrior and...well...

...how should I put this...?

 **Neither** of us were fighting seriously.

For every time I would punch her, she would have a counter and another punch waiting for me. For every kick, a grapple and a headbutt.

For every blow I'd land, she'd land five or six.

After almost a whole minute of fighting in the air with this silver-haired badass, though...I could barely hear anything over the sound of my racing heart and I could barely feel anything other than gallons of pure adrenaline being pumped through my veins...

I was able to punch her as hard as I wanted, and she'd **punch** **harder**!

I was able to kick her as fiercely as I possibly could, and she **wouldn't even flinch**!

I could push myself to the absolute limit of my base capabilities, and the **smirk wouldn't even leave her face**!

I eventually let my excitement get the better of me, and with an uncontrollable grin spreading across my face, I ended up unconsciously letting my [Magic Aura] come to life as I threw a heavy fist at her pristine, if slightly sweaty, face.

Using her magic-aided flight, she zipped up and over my fist in a near instant in my eyes, getting above me with a playful grin on her face as her right leg was cocked back.

Sending it downwards, it landed squarely in my back with an incredibly sharp sound...

*CRACK*

...and sent me rocketing downwards for 40 feet. When I hit the marble flooring stomach-first, I felt quite a few bones in my body give off some very unsettling cracking noises as they came into contact with the, what I'm now starting to consider was a poor decision in redecorating, hard **hard** ground...

*crack* *crack* *crack*

*crack* *crack* *crack*

"...nnnnngggggghhhhh..." I let out a long, drawn-out groan of pain as I was suddenly made aware of what it felt like when your **everything** began to give off a dull painful ache.

Thankfully for the adrenaline, though, the pain wasn't as bad as it could've been~!

I had no idea what my HP was at, but **immediately** grabbed onto the sides of my legs with my hands and began healing myself. A moment into my almost religious habit of healing myself after a spar, I numbly felt a pressure on the right side of my body before I was slowly flipped over to lay on my back. Cracking open my left eye, I could see the worried expression of Rossweisse as she was crouched down over me.

"Mr...glas...ar...ou...right!?" I could see her lips moving, but had quite a difficult time actually **hearing** what she was saying.

Keeping my halfway-closed left eye on her as I continued to heal myself, I just gave her the biggest grin I could muster.

"That...ngh, was... **awesome**..." I breathed out through gritted teeth. With my response, the worry on Rossweisse's face was quickly absolved to show a feeling of relief.

"Than...ness...I...as...worri...almo...illed...ou." she spoke, though I was prepared to try to listen and comprehend her barely audible words this time.

 **She was worried she almost killed me**...

"Give me...a moment..." I sighed, wanting to let the adrenaline leave my system, along with getting rid of all of the injuries I had just sustained from **one fucking attack**.

Rossweisse seemed to acquiesce to my request as she moved from her crouched position to sitting cross-legged beside me, waiting for me to give her the 'okay'.

After I was completely healed, I spent a minute or so using [Ki Meditation] to calm my erratic heartbeat to a more manageable level. It worked to an extent, even if my hands were still trembling from excitement where they laid next to me.

Eventually, I raised both of my hands over my head in my laid down position and stretched, allowing all the tense muscles in my body to relax as I made the conscious decision that I was done sparring with Rossweisse for the time being.

"Ngh...haaah..." I breathed deeply, allowing the pleasant feeling of relaxation fall over my body as I spread my body out on the ground and just rested.

"Rossweisse, can I confess something to you?" I asked, getting the silverette's attention as she had also been calming down from the fight we just had. Her gentle blue gaze fell upon my own as I turned my neck to look her in the eye.

"Sure?" she replied with a curious tone to her voice. I just smiled at her.

" **That**...was **by far** the most fun I've had ever since Cameron dragged me to Japan~...thanks." I spoke, my tone being far more sincere than I had planned on it being. It was almost embarrassing to hear myself talk like that.

But, it looked like I wasn't alone in that boat. It seemed to take a moment for what I said to register in her mind, but when it did I was treated with the sight of seeing Rossweisse's slightly sweaty face gain a subtle red glow under her cheeks before she quickly looked away from me.

"Y-You're welcome. It was fun for me as well. Even if I had to hold back, the ferocity you came at me with was...worthy of respect. Not many Humans possess that trait. They're typically more...careful when they fight, and typically try to avoid combat altogether." Rossweisse attempted to praise me in turn, only for the red on her face to become more pronounced.

...

Not even gonna fucking comment on my own traitorous cheeks.

Nope. They're **not** red!

Even if they were, it's just blood from a wound!

"..." I stayed quiet as a blade of embarrassment was stabbed straight into my chest as I also looked away from her. However, I also felt a small flicker of satisfaction at having been good enough to receive a word of praise from a trained warrior like that.

After a few seconds of awkwardness, Rossweisse and I locked eyes again...

"...Rossweisse, can we cut to the cheese?"

*snort*

*snort*

It didn't even take a second for both Rossweisse and I to let out the dorkiest snorts one would ever hear. Even if the joke wasn't funny, it was enough to shock us out of the awkward atmosphere that had settled upon us. Rossweisse actually snorted so hard that she ended up having a little coughing fit.

"D-Damn it, Douglas~!" Rossweisse said in between coughs.

...

Within record time, Rossweisse immediately covered her mouth with a surprised gasp as she stared wide-eyed at me. I was also caught a bit off guard by her cursing at me and not using 'Mr.' before my name.

However, I just smiled.

"About damn time, Rossweisse~!" I winked at her, to which the silver-haired girl just sighed slightly in relief.

"Hah...what am I getting myself into...?" she muttered under her breath as she turned her head towards the ceiling. I just snickered at her.

"I dunno, pepper jack can make some **mean** cheese dip~! I mean that literally. The next bathroom trip you take is **painful** ~!" I answered her, giving her some insight into one of the many secrets of the universe.

Rossweisse just scrunched her nose up at me, even though a smile was playing on her lips.

"That's..." she sort of snorted a little, "...that's disgusting..."

"It's worth it. Trust me." I assured her.

Making some meaningless chatter for another minute or so, I went ahead and closed my eyes to go back to resting.

Even if I was immune to fatigue, it felt nice to just **not do anything** for a moment.

I was brought out of my relaxation by a foot gently nudging me in my side.

"Hm?" I mumbled, to show I was paying attention.

"I heard what you and Lavinia were talking about earlier. About your family and all that. Sorry for eavesdropping, but..." Rossweisse attempted to apologize, but I just grinned lazily.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I don't really mind you overhearing conversations like that. It's almost nicer that way, since I won't have to repeat stuff. I'd have told you all the same things if **you** were the one asking as well. So, it's no biggie." I assured her.

"I see...I appreciate that, M...Douglas. To be honest, I don't actually have too many friends. You're actually the only boy I've talked to that doesn't seem to mind my...well, my **lack** of social experience." Rossweisse admitted, to which I cracked an eye open to see a faint look of loneliness come across her features.

"You seem like an exceptionally hard worker, what with being in college right now and all that. Did you just focus on all of that instead of making friends?" I asked, already knowing that to be the case. Rossweisse gave a very guilty nod before sighing.

"...it's almost scary how easily you deduced that. At first, I was just focused on working as hard as I could to learn as much as possible. I do regret it a bit, but I used to look down on all of my classmates that would barely study in school. I've changed over time, but still..." she explained, her features turning a little more sullen as she kept going.

I just moved one of my hands over to her right leg that was currently bent before giving a solid 'pat' to her thigh. Her eyes turned over to meet mine as I just smiled at her.

"'Two peas in a pod', as they say. It gets kinda lonely after a while of doing that, doesn't it? What made you focus so much on pushing yourself so hard in school, anyway?" I sympathetically spoke before directing her towards a slightly different question to get her mind off of the 'regretful' stuff, to which she just showed a surprised face towards me for a moment before her face sunk even more.

I actually kind of felt bad that I already knew the answer, yet was still asking for her to explain it just so that I wouldn't have to tap-dance to come up with a reason for already knowing it.

"...I...I'm not really sure I..." she spoke, a quivering tone of hesitation entering her voice.

"..." I just silently stared at the solemn expression she showed before she turned her face away from me.

"Sorry for asking a difficult question, Rossweisse. I didn't mean to upset you." I apologized, figuring that it was all I could do to try and salvage the conversation with the silver-haired girl.

Rossweisse just took a deep breath before turning her face back to me to show a much calmer expression. She nodded to me.

"It's fine, Douglas...it's just a...bit of a **sore spot** for me." she replied somewhat weakly, to which I just shrugged my shoulders from where I laid on the ground.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm glad that you don't act condescending towards people anymore. You've actually been quite respectful to me ever since we met...well, after that **initial greeting** anyways~!" I winked at her.

Rossweisse gave a frustrated sigh before giving me a weary smile in return.

"Douglas, I'm not even joking. I was **seriously** prepared to kill you back then." she spoke, her tone dead serious.

I just blew a raspberry at her.

*pfft*

"But, since you didn't, you get to be friends with the [Jackiest of Peppers]!" I smugly stated with a shit-eating grin plastered across my face. Rossweisse's smile turned a little more genuine at that.

"If you're to be believed about your mother's personality, then I have to say that it shows in **you** quite a bit. At least, when you aren't being insufferable." she shrugged her shoulders, though the way she worded that sounded eerily like a **compliment**.

"...hmm..." I hummed dismissively as my grin instantly turned into a flat line. I found myself not really interested in connecting the dots between Mom and I like that. Rossweisse gave me a slightly confused expression at that, before her eyes drifted downwards to my neck.

"I've been wondering...what is that necklace you're wearing?" she asked curiously.

...

As a pensive frown came across my face, I reached up to my neck with one of my hands and fished out the silver locket attached to the end that was tucked under my shirt. Holding it up, I stared at the 2-inch wide piece of jewelry that had a small crease going up the side with a small latch keeping it shut.

Staring hard at the piece, I just sighed as I felt a small pain enter my heart.

"...family picture. Even if some of them fucked me over, they're still family." I spoke bluntly, before tucking it back under my shirt and splaying my arm to my side again.

"..." Rossweisse just gave an understanding smile at that.

Another moment of silence passed before Rossweisse asked another question.

"Douglas...do you have any sort of plan for where you're going or what you're doing from here on out?" Rossweisse queried, to which I just gave her a blank stare.

And then, turning my eyes up towards the ceiling of the training area, I just sighed deeply.

"I'm going to train with Cameron while he's still around. He'll be leaving to do his own thing in a few months, and I want to make the most of his help while I can. I'd prefer to also be learning Norse Magic on the side, but from what all you've been telling me so far, it seems like I still need to practice controlling my energy before I'm ready to start learning. I'll focus on that in my down time. Other than doing what I can to hang out with you and Lavinia when I take breaks from training...no. I'm not really going to have any sort of direction once Cameron leaves." I explained, to which I saw a surprised expression cross her face in my peripheral vision.

"Well then...when that time comes, how would you like to join the Norse Faction?"

...

My gaze immediately locked onto Rossweisse's inviting blue eyes as she smiled at me in a friendly manner, seemingly not feeling strange about making such a **huge fucking proposal**!

My mouth broke open in awed silence as I continued to stare at the Valkyrie-in-training with my face being frozen in a visage of incredulity.

"W-Wha-!?" I stammered out, my voice going somewhat quiet as I was shocked at the words that left her mouth. Rossweisse's smile widened.

"Even if I'm still in training, I **do** have some of the authority of a Valkyrie. One of our jobs is to seek out warriors and heroes in order to bolster our Faction's capabilities. My...social ineptitude, as many of my teachers have explained it, puts me at a significant disadvantage compared to other Valkyries. However, I lik-...despite being a **severe** pain in my neck at times, I'm considerably more comfortable around you than I would be with a large majority of other people. Forgive me for just springing this on you, but I'd rather at least put the offer out there and have you decline than not and never get to know your answer." Rossweisse explained, forcing herself at one point to overcome a slight hurdle of embarrassment to say something **very** flattering.

No, my cheeks **aren't** red.

"..." I narrowed my eyes at her as my mind began to reel from the possibilities that her offer could open up to me.

...

I **need** help, and allies, to survive in this world. That much has been made **painfully** clear to me these past few weeks. I can handle myself against small fry, but at the rate that I keep running into larger-than-life problems, I'll most likely end up being killed off by a God within the first few months of being on my own.

Not only that, but once Cameron leaves, I'm going to have fuck all to do. I can only **do** something about a problem that crops up if I'm aware of it. However, the world is a big place, and I'm sure that coming across problems related to the supernatural world would be a game of chance for the most part.

Not to mention that I have neither a lot of friends in this world nor a place to really call 'home'. This house is cool and all, but once Rossweisse and Lavinia leave it, it's just gonna be **me**.

...

"...once Cameron leaves. I promise..." I muttered to her as I glared straight into her hopeful blue eyes with my own resolute orbs.

The dazzling smile I then saw...

...could've burned [The Master] to ashes in an instant~...

It was then that a golden screen flashed in front of me, though this time...

...Rossweisse **wasn't** frozen.

* * *

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The Valkyrie's Hero – Chapter 1

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -By proving your mettle and deepening your friendship with the lovely Valkyrie, Rossweisse, you have been granted the opportunity to join the Norse Faction! When you feel like you're ready to become a genuine Viking badass, sign up at your local Norse Faction Recruiting Office!

 **Difficulty Level:** '3' (Meh...)

 **Quest Objectives:  
** **-Increase Level to 60. (COMPLETED)  
** -Turn in Application.  
-Pass the Screening Exam.  
-'?'

 **Time Limit:** 6 Months

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+3)  
-x3 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-x3 'Magic' Store Tokens  
-Affiliation: Norse Faction  
-Increased Closeness with Rossweisse

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Decreased Closeness with Rossweisse

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Rossweisse, bless her soul, didn't seem to react at all to the glowing golden screen that I saw. I mentally 'accepted' the [Campaign Quest], before quickly bringing up my 'Friends List'.

* * *

 **-Friend's List-**

 **+Cameron Phillips [One's Guild]  
** **+Rossweisse (Granddaughter of Göndul) [Norse Faction]  
** **+Göndul [Norse Faction]  
** **+Lavinia Reni [Grauzauberer]**

 **+Take Picture  
** **+Take Video**

 **+View Pictures  
** **+View Videos**

* * *

Mentally selecting the 'Take Picture' option, I watched as the screen took on an appearance similar to a pink version of a camera application for a smartphone that seemed to follow and focus on whatever my eyes did.

Before Rossweisse's smile went away, I managed to snag a world-class photo~!

* * *

 **Douglas's Crib – Master Bathroom**

 **2:30 PM – 1 Hour and 30 Minutes Later...**

After having spent some more time in the Training Area bonding with Rossweisse, I decided that a nice hot bath would be a nice way to take a chill pill and relax my somewhat excited nerves that have been going haywire from the personal conversations I've had with both Lavinia and Rossweisse.

Stepping out of one's comfort zone tends to make one feel stressed, in case you weren't aware. Even if being a [Gamer] helps with mental fatigue, it still feels nice to take a break and not have to worry about forcing myself to answer those intensely personal questions.

Soaking in a bath of hot water inside of a rather large tub in the middle of a lavish marble bathroom that was attached to my room, I somewhat absentmindedly scrolled through the 'Skill/Magic Store'.

Looking through a couple of the abilities, I came across [Norse Magic Affinity] again.

Thinking back, I remembered feeling like it would be smarter to upgrade my [Ki Meditation] to [Rank: D] first since my 'MP Gauge' regenerates **far** faster than my 'KI Gauge'. Thus, cutting down on the amount of MP I use to cast spells seemed to not be as important.

Not to mention that I'm going to have to study my ass off for months to learn Norse Magic, even **with** help from Rossweisse! By that point, I **should** be able to get my hands on a number of 'Tokens' in order to upgrade my 'affinity'.

Looking up my [Boost] ability, though...

* * *

 **-Skill Store-**

 **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active  
** **-Upgrade Price: 2 Skill Tokens  
** **-Requirements: Race Rank 35, Complete [The Human Gamer's Story! – Chapter 4]  
** **-Description: Temporarily doubles STR, END, AGI and MAG.  
** **-Usage: 10 seconds  
** **-Cool down: 1 minute**

 _+Upgrade (You do not meet the requirements to upgrade this 'Skill')  
_

* * *

I still think it kinda sucks that they don't give you a view of what the ability will do once its upgraded...

However, from what Cameron told me, I'd get the **[Boosted Gear]** when I upgraded the [Boost] ability to [Rank: D]. This is just the [Game]'s way of making sure I wouldn't immediately get a 'game breaking upgrade' or anything like that.

I then looked up [Touki]...

* * *

 **-Magic Store-**

 **+[Touki] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 42/100 – EXP: 17/100% - Rank: D – Active  
** **-Upgrade Price: 3 Magic Tokens  
** **-Requirements: 5000 STR, 5000 END, 5000 MAG, {[Ki Manipulation] (Highschool DxD) [Rank: C]}  
** **-Description #1: Increases STR, END, and AGI by 50% when unarmed.  
** **-Description #2: If you are about to receive non-magical damage, if the amount that you will receive is less than the amount of END you gain from using this ability, the damage is reduced by 1/2.  
** **-Description #3: Capable of nullifying magical attacks via unarmed attacks so long as the damage that the attack will cause is equal to or lower than the combined increases you gain while using this ability.  
** **-Cost:** 45 KI/second

 _+Upgrade (You do not meet the requirements to upgrade this 'Magic')_

* * *

Sighing, I exited the 'Store' before pulling up my 'Crib Screen'...

* * *

 **-Douglas Roland's Crib-  
** **-Residents: Douglas Roland-  
** **-Location: [Transitioning] to Geiranger, Norway (ETA: 6 Hours and 37 Minutes)  
** **-Allow Guests: Friends Only-**

 **-Crib Level: 11-  
** **+Upgrade Crib – Costs 51,200,000 Yen. Gain 60 'Crib Store Tokens'.**

 **+Renovation Mode  
** **+Crib Options**

* * *

[Transitioning]...

A useful little feature of a [Gamer]'s [Crib]. By forking out a **large** chunk of money, you can have your entire house be moved to a whole new area of your choosing. However, doing so always takes 24 hours, and those who are inside of the [Crib] can't leave the house while in [Transit].

There are a few stipulations, though. First, is that you don't really know **where** your house will end up in whatever area you happen to choose for it to go. Second, is that the range on which you can move your house is limited to whatever planet you're currently on. Third, is that the cost of doing so is approximately **half** of however much raw cash you **have ownership of**.

Yep, Cameron explained that the [System] isn't fucking stupid. That's why I went ahead and purchased the majority of however much shit I could before doing a [Transit].

I am somewhat glad that I don't actually need Cameron's help to do this, though~!

Ah well, I suppose I'll tell the girls that it would probably be in their best interest to get ready to take a nap since we only have another 6 and a half hours until we get to Norway.

...

...aaaahhhhhh...maybe in a bit~...

* * *

 **Geiranger, Norway**

 **1:07 PM – 6 Hours and 36 Minutes Later...**

 **(Time Zones ARE a thing, people~! However, 24 Hours have passed since the house entered [Transit])**

Standing in front of the large window pane located in the living room, the girls and I were all watching the dancing lights and whirling patterns of the inside of the wormhole with anxious expectation.

"3...2...1..." I announced, before suddenly there was a bright flash of light that blasted all of us from outside the window as the entire house gave a sudden quake, causing all three of us to tumble over.

Falling on my ass with my eyes firmly shut from the blinding light being shone in them, I was helpless to react to the **two** weights that fell roughly in an area close to my lap...

"...nnnnngggggghhhhhh..." I groaned out, feeling an intense burst of pain shoot up from my groin as an elbow belonging to one of the females I had risked my life to save buried itself right... **right** in there...

The pain was **further** enunciated by the other female I had saved the life of falling on top of the other girl, driving the elbow **deep**...

...

"Oh my~...that was certainly surpris-...Douglas?" I heard Lavinia's melodious voice speak up, attempting to defuse the situation before noticing the, what must have been anyway, pain-filled expression on my face.

"Ngh...you could've warned u-...u-uh...w-wha-...oh." Rossweisse began to admonish me before noticing that her elbow was currently finding its way slowly up into my insides via my 'junk'.

Both girls hurriedly pushed themselves off of me whilst apologizing profusely, but I just held a hand up to cut them off.

"..." I quietly reached down the front of my pants with my right hand and activated [Hands of Healing].

The two of them quickly looked away once they realized what I was doing, though the crimson blushes on their faces were quite a sight to see.

Once I had healed up, I got back onto my feet and walked into the kitchen to wash my hands. I'm not **so** nasty as to do what I did and just ignore what I just touched.

Coming back a moment later, I noticed the upturned eyebrows of both of the females who were taller than me.

"I-I'm sorry, Douglas..." Rossweisse spoke up timidly as she bowed her head slightly towards me.

"Y-Yes...I'm sorry too. Are you...okay?" Lavinia added, her voice and expression showing concern.

I just sighed.

"...you get **one pass** from me. I'll overlook it, since it was an accident, but next time there's gonna be consequences. **Are we clear**?" I seethed, my voice going deep for a moment. Both girls showed slightly worried expressions as they looked to each other before looking back to me, nodding without hesitation when they saw my expression turn to a glare.

And so, having gotten through **that** , we all looked out the window once again...

Only to see a sight straight out of an A-class postcard.

With the sun high in the sky signifying the mid-day time, we stared straight down into a valley from a spot nestled up on the side of a mountain. The first thing that caught my attention was the glistening blue lake sitting in between a pair of majestic mountains. The waters were disturbed only by the tourism ship that was making its way out of the lake towards a small river that swerved around to the right and out of view.

The mountains were nothing to scoff at themselves either. They were covered in trees and greenery going up the sides, until being crowned with a layer of frost and snow at their tips.

On the opposite side of the lake from where we were, snuggled into the bottom of the valley near the water, was a small village. It was a little hard to make out from this distance, but it seemed to have a fair bit of traffic despite being so small of a town.

 **(((Note: If you're interested, go to the picture of Geiranger on its Wikipedia page, the house is situated halfway up and on the left side of the mountain across the water from the town. It's kind of just above the rocky cliff face, if that makes sense.)))**

"...it's been some time since I've been to Norway, but it's still so beautiful." Lavinia muttered from her spot to my left with a peaceful expression on her face.

I just leaned over to the right, where Rossweisse was standing with a fond smile gently gracing her features, making for a real treat for the eyes...

"Is it this nice **everywhere**?" I gingerly asked the silverette. She just raised a dainty hand and put it on my shoulder whilst continuing to stare out the window before answering.

"If you know where to look~." she spoke, using her Norwegian accent in a non-embarrassed manner.

At that point, a golden screen popped up in front of me, pretty much **ruining** the moment...

* * *

 **-Campaign Quest Alert!-**

 **Campaign Quest Title:** The [Quest] Hunt! - Geiranger, Norway

 **Campaign Quest Details:  
** -You've arrived in Geiranger, Norway! A new place means new [Quests] to fulfill! What a stroke of LUK! After all, you need to raise your [Race Rank] anyways, so what have you got to lose!? Go out and search for stuff to do!

 **Difficulty Level:** 'Varies'

 **Objectives:  
** -Explore Geiranger.  
-Try to find people that could use a helping hand.

 **Time Limit:** N/A

 **Completion Rewards:  
** -Rank Increase (+1 * Difficulty Level)  
-(x1 * Difficulty Level) 'Skill' Store Tokens  
-(x1 * Difficulty Level) 'Magic' Store Tokens

 **Failure Penalties:  
** -Failed Chance to find New [Quests]

 **Accept?  
** **+Yes  
** **+No**

* * *

Accepting the [Quest] with a small internal sigh of frustration at the moment being sullied by the [Game], I walked over to the front door that was to the right of the window.

"Well, should we just stay inside and gawk through a window, or should we go down and mingle with the common folk~?" I invited them as I opened up the door. Both girls just looked to me with smiles before nodding and stepping towards the doorway that I was holding open for them.

"Yes, let's~!" Lavinia sounded her approval in an upbeat tone.

However, before they stepped through, I held out and arm to halt them. They both looked to me with curious expressions at that.

"Is something wrong, Douglas?" Rossweisse asked, to which I just sighed.

"I feel like it probably goes without saying, but I want you both to promise me that you won't tell **anyone** about what all was talked about in this house. It may not seem like much, but the more people know, the more they start asking those **really** difficult questions that I **really** don't want to answer." I said, pointedly staring into each pair of blue orbs that were alight with a small hint of confusion.

However, both of them just smiled at me.

"Of course, Douglas." Lavinia agreed.

"Please have at least a little bit of faith in us." Rossweisse chided.

"Good~! Now that you've signed the soul-stealing oral contract, it's time for **SOCIAL ACTIVITY!** " I shouted as I pushed them out the door before following, closing the door on my way out.

I absolutely relished the blissful feeling of seeing the shocked and slightly scared faces they both showed me when they were told that specific piece of information~!

* * *

 **Unknown Location - ?**

 **Same Time...**

Inside of a large throne room composed of black marble floors, walls and ceiling that had veins of golden light strewn throughout them in various patterns, a lone figure lazily sat on top of a raised black throne that was lavishly covered with various pillows to provide comfort that one would never be able to find if they sat directly on a chair made of of the same black material as the rest of the room. However, there were various precious jewels that were embedded in a circular pattern around the rim of the back of the throne that helped differentiate it from the rest of the room.

The figure sitting atop the throne appeared to possess a body of a male in his mid-teens, though slimmer than would be considered healthy. He wore a dark black coat with a hood that covered most of his body and obscured his facial features, along with black jeans and combat boots. However, despite having worn gloves in the past, his hands were now bare, which allowed any who saw him to see the pale skin of a pair of hands that haven't seen the sun in a **long** time.

With one leg resting over the arm of the chair, **[The Master]** lazily had one arm propping the side of his head up as he stared down at a similarly clothed though considerably larger and more muscular male figure that was kneeling at the base of a set of stairs leading up to his throne. Sprouting out of the back of the kneeling male were **six** **black wings**.

" **Zariel** , I must have been half-asleep. What did you just say?" [The Master] spoke, his tone sounding optimistic and hopeful.

"He's gone, Master. When Hada and her team came back, having been slaughtered by him, we attempted to send out another team to keep up surveillance on him. However, the team has been searching for the past 24 hours, and has found no trace of Douglas Roland anywhere in Kuoh City." the bulkier male explained, his voice deep and respectful if not slightly fearful at reporting the 'failure' to the man looking down on him.

"I see, I see...that's what I thought you said~!" [The Master] cheerily replied, not shifting in his position in the slightest.

Reaching up with his free hand that was laying on the cushions to his side, he moved it to the upper rim of his hood before pushing the cloth back slightly.

As he did so, the shadows seemed to melt off of the lower portion of his face in wisps of smoke...

...showing a malicious grin.

"Zariel, I gave you **one job** ~! 'Keep an eye on him'...and what did you authorize those stupid minions to do? Because of you, he's been **spooked**. That makes predicting what he'll do **far harder**." the mouth moved, the tone instantly shifting from amicable to that of a predator mocking its prey.

Zariel just lowered his hooded head into a bow towards the figure on the throne.

"My apologies, Master. It won't happen again." Zariel spoke, his voice submissive and obedient.

In that moment, the sadistic grin on [The Master]'s face morphed into a displeased frown.

"No, it won't. We need to find out where he went, and when we do, **you** are going to be the one 'keeping an eye on him'." he spoke, his voice serious.

"I'll allow you to keep your 'free will' for now, considering I had a back-up plan for if they **happened** to come into contact with the jackass. However, let me make **one** thing **very clear**...if you so much as **touch** a single hair on his head without me giving you the explicit order to do so, you'll find out what happened to your 'significant other' **the hard way**. Now, buzz off!" [The Master] threatened before allowing his hood to fall forward and the shadows to obscure his face once again.

Waving the now free hand, he watched as the kneeling male nodded and disappeared in a whirlwind of black feathers.

[The Master] allowed his head to roll backwards off of his hand and land on a cushy pillow.

"Jesus, you'd think a centuries-old Fallen Angel would be capable of following orders...why do I keep getting the stupid ones~?" he sighed exasperatedly. However, he soon felt a pair of dainty hands delicately place themselves on his temples before a soothing female voice spoke up from just above him.

"Master, you seem to be stressed. After all of that training you did, and furthering all of these 'plans' you have, do you think that you'd like to go to bed?" the voice kindly tempted, to which [The Master] just leaned into the feminine touch.

"...are you going to...you know...?" he quietly asked, his voice almost timid.

"Mm~...if that's what you wish~..."

* * *

 **Kuoh, Japan – Kuoh Academy – Student Council Office**

 **9:07 PM – Same Time, but different Time Zone...**

From the dim light that came in from the starry night sky outside the window, a somewhat strange scene was playing itself out.

Standing about ten feet away and staring down at the rather heartwarming sight of a teenage black-haired girl hugging the life out of an older black-haired girl with similar features, besides her obviously more mature body, was a **bipedal** **elephant man**.

Standing at **11'** tall, his dark gray skin covered by loose blue robes with golden patterns embroidered into it and a white sash that comes over his right shoulder and down to his left hip before wrapping around his waist. Coming out from the sides of his mouth, were two glowing ivory tusks. His eyes, however, were his most striking feature. Instead of having irises, they were pure white and shined with an ethereal light as he stared down at the two girls who were currently laying on a couch that had been brought into the room for the older one to sleep on.

In the case of that 'older black-haired girl', she was currently overjoyed at being allowed by the younger one to nuzzle her head into her chest and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. She also had a hand on the back of the younger one's head and was soothingly stroking it through her hair.

"There, there...it's okay, Sony...I'm here..." the older one whispered into the ear of the other one.

"S-Sera...you dense...idiotic...horrible..." the younger one babbled, her mixed emotions coming out in her voice.

"Lady Serafall, pardon me, but do you **really** remember nothing that happened?" the elephant man spoke, his voice guttural and almost beast-like.

Serafall just looked up to him.

"Nope~! If it weren't for that little necklace, and the worry in Sony's voice, then I'd almost think that nothing happened at all~!" she responded in an upbeat fashion, not wanting to sour the chance she's getting to hug her baby sister as much as she wants.

The elephant man just frowned slightly as he looked to the necklace that currently laid on the table, or more specifically, the words imprinted on the back...

* * *

 _ **You're Welcome,**_

 _ **Mr. Pepper Jack**_

* * *

"What a ridiculous name..." he muttered, almost as if to himself.

"Oh come on, Benny~! We've heard **way stranger** titles back in the day~! Even **our** titles sound pretty bigoted when compared to something so lighthearted and fun like 'Mr. Pepper Jack'~!" Serafall rebuked playfully, though she also couldn't keep the small snort from coming out of her nose when she said the name.

Benny, or Behemoth as he's more commonly referred to, couldn't really disagree with that sentiment. Even if it felt a little frustrating to hear his Mistress refer to his title as 'bigoted'...

"But...would you do me a **biiig** favor~? Find him~!" Serafall asked, though with her exclamation soon after, it would be hard to see it as anything but an **order**.

Behemoth just nodded.

"With haste, Lady Serafall. If I may, could I ask for the assistance of Lord Sirzech's [Bishop], MacGregor?" he spoke, to which Serafall gave him a wink.

"If you say 'Hi~!' to him for me~!"

With a faint smile playing across his lips, the elephant nodded before a glowing blue magic circle suddenly appeared beneath him. Within a flash of blue light, he vanished from the room, leaving the two sisters alone.

"Sera...I was...if I lost you, then..."

"Shh~...I'll do everything I can to never leave you, Sona. Big Sis is super strong...and so long as I have my Lil' Sis, I'll **never** give up..." Serafall spoke, her tone going from playful to quiet and determined as she continued to stroke the now-crying girl's head soothingly.

And though the world may never know, Serafall was well aware...

...of just how much pain and guilt she felt for scaring her little sister **so much**...

With a demonic glint coming to her eyes, she glared **hard** at the necklace laying on the table.

And in her head, she merely affirmed to herself that she would **not** fall prey to whatever happened a **second time**.

 **The world would freeze before that happened...**

* * *

 **Geiranger, Norway – Outside Douglas's Crib**

 **10:15 PM – 8 Hours or so Later...**

Leaping up a series of stone ledges that jutted out from the side of the mountain with Rossweisse levitating in the air behind me, I carefully kept a hold on the incredibly voluptuous blonde female that was currently hanging onto me piggy-back style with a bit of a loose grip.

"*hiccup*, Douglas~...I wanna play again~...Go back~..." Lavinia whined in a sweet voice from right next to my ear, blowing on it a little with her rather **warm breath**.

"Lavinia, we played **28 times**. You lost **28 times**." I sighed in frustration as I focused on landing properly on another stone ledge before leaping off of it as gently as I could.

I didn't really feel the desire to shake her up whilst she's **drunk**...

Trust me, it **never** ends well.

Trailing near us in case anything went wrong, Rossweisse just groaned.

"I can't believe that after drinking half a bottle of that rum that you're not as drunk as she is." Rossweisse spoke, her tone slightly disbelieving.

I just showed her a smirk.

"I'm American. Not only that, but I have Irish **AND** Scottish blood inside me! Playing me in 'Texas Hold'em' was basically just a slap in the face as well, since that's one of the few casino games I'm actually **good** at!" I gloated, to which Rossweisse just sighed as she shook her head with a smile on her face.

"You're lucky I was there. That one waitress would've thrown you out of the restaurant for drinking whilst being a 'minor'." she attempted to shame me. In response, I just smiled at her.

"Thanks for protecting my right to drink booze, Rossweisse!" I cheerily said as I gave one final hop onto the top of the cliff face, to where my house was visible on the innermost part of a 200-foot wide terrace that had been carved into the mountain.

Stepping lightly across the nice grass yard that stood in front of my house, I watched as Rossweisse came down and landed beside me to my right before the magic surrounding her faded into her body.

"You're welcome...I guess? I'd really prefer if you stopped, though. It can be quite addictive if you're not careful." Rossweisse cautioned as she started walking in pace with me, showing me a slightly concerned face.

I felt a gentle poking in my cheek from the opposite side, but ignored it because I knew it was Lavinia.

"That was the first time in nearly three months that I was able to drink at all. You don't need to worry about me drinking." I assured her, only to see a slightly miffed expression cross her face.

"You're my friend, so **of course** I'm going to worry about you. Please, don't ever let it become a habit..." she sighed, her voice containing a hint of dejection within it as she turned her gaze forward again with a stoic expression on her face.

I felt my curiosity over that immediately spring up, but squished it down since it seemed like she **really** didn't want to talk about it.

"...yeah, sure thing." I responded quietly to her as we came up to the front door.

Opening it up for me, since I had my hands kind of full for a moment...

"Lavinia, stop squirming!" I spoke up to the older female who was currently almost grinding against me.

"But, Douglas~...you just keep squeezing me~..." she mewled, to which my attention shifted to my hands.

From all the jarring, it seemed that my hold had somehow shifted to grasp the fleshiest part of a woman's lower body. I didn't want her to fall, which also caused me to grip tightly whenever I felt her slipping.

Rossweisse just stared at me with dead fish eyes. I opened my mouth to try and explain that I didn't do it on purpose, but she just brushed past me quickly and entered into the house. She immediately went towards the elevator and entered it as soon as the doors 'dinged' open when she pushed the button to go upstairs.

As the doors closed, I could see her giving me the 'I have my eyes on you' gesture with her fingers.

"Aw~, she's just jealous, Lil' Bro~..." Lavinia assured me drunkenly, to which I just glared at her before giving her ass a **serious** squeeze.

"Yahn~!" Lavinia squealed out, her voice filled with a slight hint of pain, but mostly of surprise and what seemed like a small rush of excitement.

"You're walking to your room from here." I told her forcefully before dropping my hands out from underneath her, to which she quickly tightened her grip around my neck and waist with her arms and legs.

"Sorry! Sorry! Can I ple...*hiccup* please be carried?" she apologized before asking in a voice as thick and sweet as honey.

I simply pried her arms and legs off of me, to which she just pouted at me before standing on her own. Wobbling slightly, she placed a hand on the door-frame to steady herself before looking to me with a smile on her face.

"Thanks for the ride, Douglas~..." she said, before reaching up with her other hand and ruffling my hair again.

...

Quietly watching her walk past me through the threshold and towards the elevator with a streak of red going across my face, I just sighed before scratching my head. Moving inside, I closed the door behind me.

"Make sure you drink a big ol' glass of water before you go to sleep!" I called out to the blonde, the spark of happiness I felt clouding my judgement and **making** me be nice to her instead of just letting her suffer from an inevitable hangover.

Lavinia just hummed happily and changed her trajectory towards the kitchen. I, on the other hand, moved over to one of the single-person chairs in the living room and sat.

After a few moments, Lavinia passed by in front of me on her way to the elevator.

"Good night, Douglas~...and, thank you. For everything." she spoke, giving me a radiant smile as her cheeks seemed to flush even darker than they had been due to the alcohol. I just nodded towards her.

"I'm glad I did. I got a pretty sweet 'Big Sis' out of the deal." I replied, giving her my own smile.

With that, Lavinia also went upstairs to get some shut-eye, whilst I just stayed downstairs before sighing deeply...

...and entering into an [Empty ID].

* * *

And in a flash of light, a brown-haired jackass suddenly appeared, sitting forward on the edge of my couch with his arms crossed while being propped on top of his knees.

He turned his head to me with a dark expression on his face.

"I've taken another month off, so now we're at **four months** for training. After that, you're on your own. I'll allow breaks every now and then for you to play with your little lady friends, but I'd suggest only doing it when they're both around so as to save time. I've also arranged for transportation for both of them to get out of here." he explained to me, his voice serious and all business-like.

I just nodded, already knowing that the training would need to be serious.

"Also...I'm sorry. You seemed to have **so much fun** with those two, but I'm doing nothing but pushing you to be a better fighter. Being a [Gamer]...it's meant as a second chance to learn to enjoy life. And maybe you enjoy all the fighting and the 'power fantasy' that 'shonen anime' are famous for. However, there's more to life than that, and I ended up screwing you out of having more time to just **savor** the experience, and instead be forced to try and protect it against people like [The Master]." he apologized, bowing his head slightly to me for a moment.

I sighed at that.

"I **do** enjoy the fighting, or at least I'm **starting to**. I don't mind sacrificing 'play time' to become stronger, since I'd be doing that even if you weren't here. Plus, I have a feeling that [The Master] would've been a problem even if you had become a 'drill sergeant' with me. Two weeks just isn't enough time to learn everything about fighting." I replied, waving my hand dismissively.

However, I then narrowed my eyes at him.

"Are you going to introduce yourself to Lavinia? She seemed as curious as Rossweisse about you...At the very least, I want the two of you to meet so she knows what you're like." I proposed, to which Cameron just smiled lightly.

"I'll meet her, but not now. Keep her on her toes for a bit." Cameron conspiratorially muttered to me, to which I just grinned.

" **Jolly Rancher Hell**?" I asked maliciously.

"You fucking know it~! Rossweisse too~!" Cameron affirmed.

And so, we shared a moment of sadistic glee in our plotting of the ladies' downfall into the sweet, **sweet abyss**...

...

"We should probably start training now." I proposed anxiously, standing up quickly and pulling my sword out hurriedly.

Cameron just stood up too, the same fire having been lit under his ass.

"Yep. Yeah, got no time to waste! Four fucking months, need to fucking get started on it, holy shit..." he muttered as we both started power walking towards the door.

And so, four months of training, grinding and pranking started off with two jackasses quickly stepping out of a house onto a grassy terrace on the side of a mountain like they really had to go pee...

* * *

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Congratulations, folks~!**

 **I'm proud to say that the FIRST ARC IS OFFICIALLY _DONE_!**

 **I'll go ahead and put this out there, but I'm just gonna do a _4 Month Time Skip_. I just need Douglas to level up a lot more, and I'm starting to run out of steam for topics that him and his new friends can talk about considering they haven't known each other for that long. Not to mention that it'll be nice to skip a lot of the training stuff that he'll be doing.**

 **Now for my obligatory attempts to excuse my possibly unsatisfactory writing capabilities. I _did_ try to make the conversations in the first half of this chapter have less fluff. I wanted to show Douglas making good on his promise to try and open up to the two ladies, and I think I did a fair job on that. If you have any opposing thoughts on the matter, or felt like the bonding seemed too forced or something like that, then please leave a Review with your name and address...**

 **Just kidding, I already have those~!**

 **And, just like the other Chapters, if you wish to Review in order to tell me your thoughts, then you need to keep scrolling to the bottom of this page!**

 **Thank you for taking your time to read this pristine piece of shit, and I hope you tune in for the next Chapter of DxD: One Gamer's Tale!**

 **...kinda wondering about work-shopping the title, though~!**

 **If you're interested, I implore you to continue scrolling and have faith in the God of Teasers to give you a little somethin' somethin' concerning what will most likely be a _bit_ of a clue as to who you can expect to show up in the next arc...**

* * *

 **-Status Screen-**

 **Date:** August 26, 2014 **(Canon Start: 958 days)  
** **Time:** 10:19:42 PM

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20)  
 **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 11 Human):** +11 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 90  
 **EXP** : 335,893,672/612,577,743  
 **HP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,242 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 4,640/4,640 (+1,231.8 MP/minute)  
 **KI (DxD):** 6,600/6,600 (+60 KI/minute)

 **STR:** 2,312 (2,312+0+0+0)  
 **END:** 2,000 (1,910+90+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 3,041 (2,501+540+0+0)  
 **INT:** 700 (700+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 2,288 (1,928+360+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 1,090 (1+990+99)

 **Stat Points:** 0

 **Stat Bonuses:** 0

 **HP Bonus:** 0  
 **HP Regen Bonus:** 0

 **MP Bonus:** 0  
 **MP Regen Bonus:** 0

 **Money (Krone):** 495,113.79

 **Skill Store Tokens:** 1

 **Magic Store Tokens:** 1

 **-Skills/Magic-**

 **-Skills-**

 **+[Gamer's Body]** – **LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Gamer's Mind] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Language] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Fiction Adaptation] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Perfect Grip] – LVL: MAX – Passive –  
** **+[Perfect Throw] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Health Regenerator] – LVL: 290 – EXP: 9.5/100% - Passive  
** **+[Second Chance] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Control Stick Physics] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Air Jump] – LVL: 21/100 – EXP: 54/100% - Active  
** **+[Perfect Memory] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Magic Regenerator] – LVL: 312 – EXP: 37.3/100% - Passive  
** **+[Magic Aura] – LVL: MAX – Active - MP Used:** 10%/minute  
 **+[Blessed Looter] – LVL: MAX – Passive  
** **+[Boost (Twice Critical)] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA - Rank: E – Active  
** **+[Block] – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Active  
** **+[Swordsmanship] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: NA – Rank: E – Passive  
** **+[Unarmed Combat Proficiency] (Gamer) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E - Passive  
** **+[Norse Magic Affinity] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E - Passive  
** **+[Ki Manipulation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 38/100 – EXP: 97/100% - Rank: D – Passive  
** **+[Ki Meditation] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 2/100 – EXP: 85/100% – Rank: D – Active**

 **-Magic-**

 **+[Observe] – LVL: 229 – EXP: 30/100% - Active – MP Cost:** 5 MP  
 ** **+[ID: Create] – LVL: 28 – EXP: 80/100% – Active – Cost:**** 40 MP  
 **+[ID: Escape] – LVL: MAX – Active – Cost:** 0 MP  
 **+[Norse Magic: Arrow of Fire] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 60-'?' MP  
 **+[Norse Magic: Hands of Healing] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A - Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 50 MP/second  
 **+[Norse Magic: Lesser Chains of Gleipnir] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 1/100 – EXP: 0/100% – Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 250 MP per chain  
 **+[Norse Magic: Shield of Light] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 100/100 – EXP: N/A – Rank: E – Active – Cost:** 80 MP/second  
 **+[Touki] (Highschool DxD) – LVL: 37/100 – EXP: 61/100% - Rank: D – Active – Cost:** 45 KI/second

* * *

 **Unknown Location – ?**

*pat* *pat* *pat*

Inside of an underground stone corridor, a line of healthy torch sconces burning along the wall on one side and an intermittent line of vertical iron bars replacing the wall on the other, the bare feet of a lithe feminine figure tapped against the ground.

The light given off by the torches would gently reflect off of the intricate golden embroideries that was laced throughout the red **sari** -like garment that lazily covered her from. However, a significant portion of the left side of her slightly tan mid-riff and her long shapely legs were left exposed, showing a black tribalistic tattoo of an angry lion head that took up most of her left hip area. Underneath the draping garment that she wore, one could see signs of a black skin-tight outfit that clung to her notably feminine curves and that stretched down to wrap around the upper part of her thighs in order to preserve the modesty only a woman can possess.

As she walked with a sense of purpose through the dimly lit dungeon, one could easily make out the rounded yellow lion ears that poked out of her short dirty-blonde hair and the glowing golden eyes that seemed to stick out even more than they normally would due to the dark black markings that encompassed her eyelids. Behind her, right at her waistline, a long thin golden tail calmly swayed back and forth.

Continuing to walk forward, she eventually came to a set of iron bars and stopped. As she peered past them, her eyes landed on the voluptuous feminine figure that was currently curled up in the middle of the floor of the cell with tattered remnants of various pieces of black clothing covering her body that was covered with small bruises and cuts from living in the wilderness.

With dirt-caked black hair coming down to her waist, a pair of **black ears** glued down to the back of her head in a clear sign of fear and discontentment, and **two glowing amber slits** where her eyes should be glaring straight at the woman who approached the bars, the voluptuous female shivered slightly from where she laid as all the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose and her **twin black tails swished back and forth angrily**...

Opening her mouth, the standing female snarled at the imprisoned woman before speaking in an incredibly spiteful tone...

" **Well, well, well, why did you come back, you 'stray kitten'?** "

* * *

 **Dun Dun DUUUUN!**

 **Didn't I tell you guys?**

 **Katarea is one of my favorites! I just wuv her adowable wittle ears!**


	20. Re-Write (Yep, I'm doin' it too)

**Before we get started on the blood-bath, I want to say that I've been banging my head against a brick wall for the past week trying to figure out what I'm going to do with this story. However, thanks to a person on this site who I've already made contact with via PM, I have reached my decision.**

* * *

Hello, everyone out there in Internet Land!

I'm sure many of you are wondering, "Where's the new Chappie!?".

It ain't comin'.

This is simply a notice that I'm finally giving in! I'm throwing in the towel! I'm cookin' the goose!

...

Okay, that's a bit of an overstatement. Let me explain this in the most disorderly manner in which I am capable...A.K.A., free-writing.

I hit a rut, and kept digging it. I've made many mistakes, and just kept on trucking. I made this complex, and kept on confusing everyone.

* * *

 **1\. The [Gamer System] I Created**

Okay, let's all be honest. This was a fucking mess from the get-go.

I added **way** too many nooks and crannies to this ability that only ended up making things needlessly complex and giving me the chance to author-splain things to you about an ability you're already very familiar with. A lot of it was to combat my own pet-peeves with the [Gamer] ability that other people never seemed to bring up.

However, I now realize why they didn't.

If you try to make the [Gamer] ability into an actual 'game', you are going to lose. The only times when the [Gamer] ability was relevant was when my MC was going through an [ID]. Every other time, it was just a needless wall of formatted text for you all to read.

The 'Tokens' were a neat idea, I believe, but only if it was actually a game. In a story, they're just collectibles that encourage my MC to complete [Quests].

The INT stat is stupid. Fuck that stat.

The abilities that my MC gained were too mechanical and rigid in their uses. It didn't feel like magic, it just felt like a fucking game.

Cutting out the concept of training caused my MC to effectively become a 'grind-monkey'. That's all he ever fucking does. Seriously.

Cutting out the concept of fatigue makes the fights incredibly bland to write, because Douglas Roland will never be below 100%. He'll never breathe hard. He'll never drop to his knees.

* * *

 **2\. The 'Plot'**

Okay, confession time. I **never** had an entire plot planned out. It was always nothing more than a very loose string of whatever popped into my head and stuck.

I free-wrote **8** **0%** of this story.

For 200k words, that's actually kind of impressive. However, the holes in my ship are seriously starting to take on water, and I can't plug them fast enough.

The inclusion of [The Master] raping Lavinia was a spur of the moment decision brought upon by me having a random thought when I had finished writing the Chapter that Douglas had previously stated that he "had no particularly strong feelings concerning things like rape.". I just thought that would be enough of a shock to him to make it plausible to the reader that he would change from his jackass-ish nature to a more caring one. The thought never crossed my mind over how all of my readers would see it.

Hell, the decision to include Cameron came about the very night that I was going to publish Chapter 5!

Furthermore, I believe that the inclusion of Cameron was one of my biggest mistakes of all. It was the gateway into the meta-game, and offered me a safety net as a writer that I should have **never** had. Because of him, I felt like I could have Douglas literally bitch-slap Rias in front of Sirzechs and not have to care about the consequences. He was my 'Deus ex Machina' in disguise.

Douglas's harem in this story would have been Rossweisse, Lavinia, Akeno, and Kuroka.

* * *

 **3\. Douglas's Power Level**

Okay, I'll be honest here as well. I never actually worked out the specifics as far as how much the points in the stats would mean in my version of the [Gamer System]. However, here are Douglas's new stats.

* * *

 **Name:** Douglas Roland  
 **Age:** 15 ( **Real Age:** 20 **)  
** **Birthday:** April 25  
 **Race:** Human  
 **Race Bonus (Rank 46 Human):** +46 LUK/level  
 **Occupation:** Gamer  
 **Title:** Mr. Pepper Jack (+10% LUK)

 **Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]:** +1 END/level

 **LVL:** 128  
 **EXP:** 555,963,711,102/625,242,629,179  
 **HP:** 40,848/40,848 (+7,013 HP/minute)  
 **MP:** 39,072/39,072 (+7,461 MP/minute)  
 **KI (DxD):** 36,041/36,041 (+240 KI/minute)

 **STR:** 13,221 (11,941+1,280+0+0)  
 **END:** 12,820 (11,540+1,280+0+0)  
 **AGI:** 14,358 (12,438+1,920+0+0)  
 **INT:** 5,000 (5,000+0+0)  
 **MAG:** 10,000 (8,592+1,408+0+0)  
 **LUK:** 6,477 (1+5,888+588)

* * *

Now, you all might be thinking this isn't so bad. I certainly used a systematic and fair way of gauging how powerful he would become.

However, with **[Boosted Gear]** , which he would be getting in the second arc, Douglas would've been able to [Boost] a total of 36 times, and hold that power for 1 whole minute.

His STR, END, AGI and MAG stats...

* * *

 **STR:** 489,177  
 **E** **ND:** 474,820  
 **AGI:** 531,246  
 **MAG:** 370,000

* * *

By my [System], that would place him in the mid-upper tier of Ultimate-Class!

THAT'S FUCKING INSANELY OP FOR FOUR MONTHS!

Not to mention that Douglas can **further** improve his physical capabilities with [Touki], which he has been diligent with improving.

It would be damn near impossible for me to make anything challenging or eventful anymore with Douglas around, and he's the fucking MC of the story!

* * *

 **And so, with all of this in mind, I have decided to re-write this story using everything I have learned since beginning this massive train wreck!**

 **...hah, I fucking swore I would never do this, and yet here I am...**

 **I truly apologize if you've enjoyed this story up till now. I just...I'm in a rut. There's just TOO MUCH going on with this story that I can't keep heads or tails of it anymore. However, now that I have a much clearer vision of what I want my story to be like, I'm going to put serious effort into the revamp, which will feature another [Gamer System].**

 **One that is much less complex, and much more realistic than the fantastical 'power fantasy' I've been running on. You won't need to sit through any boring explanations, and there won't be any more 'meta' happening. Just a good old-fashioned 'Gamer' fic.**

 **But, if you wish to feel excited about anything, just know that I feel SO FUCKING FREE RIGHT NOW!**

 **THIS NEW STORY'S GONNA BE SO FUCKING FUN TO WRITE!**


	21. New Story's Out! DxD: Vivus Codex

**Hello Peoples of all shapes and sizes and races and colors and tastes and smells,**

 **The new Story is now up. It is called "DxD: Vivus Codex".**

 **The First Chapter is kind of an anchor chapter, sort of like this one, in that it's not very long and its real purpose is simply to motivate me to write more.**

 **I'm already working on Chapter 2, which shouldn't take so long to finish unless real life gets in the way.**


End file.
